With the 2020 NBA Draft just a week away (Nov. 18), there has been plenty of speculation not only about who the Detroit Pistons should select with the No. 7 overall pick but also if they should make a trade to either move up or move down in the draft.
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In addition, there has also been some chatter as to whether or not the Pistons will trade Blake Griffin before the start of the 2020-21 season.
Well, in a piece recently published in The Athletic, James Edwards III proposes a trade that not only includes the Pistons moving up in the draft but also ships Blake Griffin (and his contract) out of town.
From The Athletic:
The Warriors are in the rare position of having a top-2 pick while still being title contenders. Golden State has a short-term window with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, so it’s easy to see it going for a home-run-type trade this offseason to bolster its chances of winning another title.
This trade makes sense for both sides. If Griffin is indeed healthy and able to perform anywhere close to how he did in the 2018-19 season, the Warriors get a top-20 player and a top-7 pick. They can use that pick to either add a piece for the future or flip it for someone to help them now. Golden State has a $17 million trade exception from the Andre Iguodala trade last year. And while Griffin’s annual salary is costlier, his contract has one less year remaining on it than Andrew Wiggins’.
As for the Pistons, Wiggins fits the timeline of the rest of the roster and adds much-needed length and athleticism on the wing. The former No. 1 pick has been underwhelming so far, but he is a serviceable player who is still only 25. Detroit would also get the No. 2 pick, which is never a bad thing to have, even from an asset perspective. The Pistons need more assets, as well as good, young talent.
Trading for Griffin could blow up in the Warriors’ face if he isn’t healthy for the next two years, but it would be a big-time swing they could talk themselves into.
Nation, is this a deal you would like to see the Detroit Pistons make?
