Folks it is a VERY GOOD DAY for hoops-related drama. The NBA Trade Deadline is fast approaching and the first major domino has fallen: Blake Griffin is now a Detroit Piston.
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Yes, it actually happened.
The Los Angeles Clippers unceremoniously set the cat amongst the pigeons by shipping Griffin, inarguably their franchise player, off to Detroit in a bombshell trade that’s sent fans of the league into fits.
The deal will see Griffin, Brice Johnson, and Willie Reed ship off to the Motor City in exchange for Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, Tobias Harris, a 2018 first-round draft pick, and a 2019 second-round draft pick, according to ESPN’s perennial story-breaker Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Clippers and Pistons have agreed on a deal to trade Blake Griffin for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, a first-round and a second-round draft pick, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 29, 2018
There were previous signs that all was not well at the Clippers, but few suspected the franchise to spirit away it most marketable asset. The club drafted Griffin first overall in 2009 as a major piece of the team’s puzzle that subsequently helped elevate the franchise from perennial irrelevancy.
The Clippers dealing Griffin today becomes even more insane when you consider the fact that just six months ago the franchise went all-out in presenting a case for the then-free agent to resign.
How big of a case?
They brought in a freakin’ choir, dimmed the lights in Staples Centre, and staged a mock jersey-retirement for him while an announcer boomed “tonight, we’re honouring a lifelong Clipper” over the arena’s PA. Seriously.
The Clippers held their free agent meeting with Griffin at Staples. They lowered the lights in the arena and raised his jersey to the rafters as a choir sang. The PA announcer said: “Tonight, we’re honoring a lifelong Clipper.”
— Lee Jenkins (@ByLeeJenkins) January 29, 2018
The Clippers gave Blake Griffin a crazy-elaborate free agent pitch, even mock-retiring his jersey to the rafters…six months later he’s shipped off to Detroit, a team he’d never have even taken a meeting with. Expect every big free agent this summer to demand a no-trade clause.
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) January 30, 2018
It worked too. Griffin signed a five-year $173 million contract.
And now he’s a fucken Piston.
At least he’s seeing some humour in all of this, it seems.
— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin23) January 30, 2018
It’s well and truly trade season, mates. Strap on in.
