
Since Griffin took the floor in a Pistons jersey, the team is 4-0 with impressive victories over the Heat and Trail Blazers - both current playoff teams. Whether or not the Griffin deal is a success will be determined over the course of the next four seasons, but there's no denying it's been an immediate breath of fresh air.īefore Griffin even joined his new teammates, they went out and stomped the same Cavaliers they had lost to over the weekend. TRADE NEWS: Pistons reportedly acquire forward James Ennis from Memphis JUST IN: Pistons reportedly trade Willie Reed to Chicago for point guard Jameer Nelson Tired of the monotonous, below-average results that left the Pistons battling toward mediocrity for the better part of the decade, Stan Van Gundy made a big splash, acquiring Blake Griffin from the Clippers. The team that had started the year 14-6 was gone, and at 22-26, the Pistons were fading farther away from a playoff spot.īut they flipped a switch on Jan. 28, getting blown out by 17 points at Cleveland, the season appeared to be over. When the Detroit Pistons suffered their eighth straight loss on Jan.
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He has been a consummate pro and we wish him continued success.DETROIT – It's amazing how much 10 days can change a basketball season that lasts six months. “His work ethic and his approach to the game contributed a lot to our culture. “Blake has been a great representative for our franchise and for the city of Detroit,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said. His injury problems might be less of an issue if there isn't as much pressure on him to play heavy minutes. Once one of the league's most exciting dunkers, Griffin's game produces fewer highlights now, but he's become a serviceable threat from 3-point range and can help a team in a number of ways. A couple seasons ago, he averaged a career-high 24.5 points - but even in that 2018-19 campaign, Detroit was swept in the first round of the playoffs, and the team wasn't able to build on that. He was traded to the Pistons just seven months after signing a $171 million, five-year contract to stay with the Clippers. If healthy, Griffin can offer size, versatility and veteran leadership to a contender. Detroit traded big man Andre Drummond around this time last year, and the team's off-season reshuffling left Griffin as one of the few holdovers. The Pistons also acquired Jerami Grant in the off-season, and he's averaging 23.4 points per game.Īll of that means it makes sense for the Pistons to move on without Griffin. A couple of them - Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey - have shown some promise.

“We appreciate all of Blake’s efforts on and off the court in Detroit, have great respect for him as a player and a person and we wish him all the best in the future.”ĭetroit is just 10-26 this season and had three first-round picks in last year's draft.

“As we stated from the beginning of our discussions with Blake and his representatives, our goal has been to facilitate a resolution for the future that maximizes the interests of both Blake and our team,” Pistons general manager Troy Weaver said.

Griffin has averaged 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in the 20 games he's played this season. He had a terrific 2018-19 season for the Pistons, helping them to the playoffs, but his health has been a concern in Detroit, just as it had been when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers. The question now is how valuable he might be to a contending team.

Griffin, who turns 32 later this month, came to Detroit in a trade during the 2017-18 season. The Pistons also traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks last month. The Pistons announced last month that they would keep Griffin out of the lineup while resolving his future, a clear sign that the star forward could be on the way out. “I thank the Pistons organization for working together on an outcome that benefits all involved and I wish the franchise success in the future,” Griffin said Friday in a statement released by the team. The veteran forward and the Pistons agreed to a contract buyout. DETROIT - Blake Griffin's time in Detroit is over, another significant step in a rebuilding process that has the Pistons at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
