Shortly after trading Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets this past summer, the Los Angeles Clippers quickly shifted their focus to then-free agent Blake Griffin. Losing him would have left only DeAndre Jordan from the core of star players who were to turn the franchise around.
Griffin and the Clippers came to terms on a five-year, $173 million contract. He was championed as the new face of the franchise, though in negotiations and the deal, L.A. did not provide Griffin with a no-trade clause.
That now has come full circle, as the former No. 1 overall pick was traded, along with Brice Johnson and Willis Reed, to the Detroit Pistons for a package headlined by Avery Bradley, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
The LA Clippers have agreed to trade All-Star forward Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons, league sources told ESPN.
The Clippers will receive Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, and a first- and second-round draft pick, league sources said. The Clippers are also sending Brice Johnson and Willie Reed to Detroit alongside Griffin, sources said.
The Pistons parting with Bradley comes months after he was acquired in a trade with the Boston Celtics. It only recently became public knowledge that Detroit was shopping the 27-year-old in trade talks.
The Lakers reportedly offered the Pistons a trade that involved Jordan Clarkson and Bradley. It’s unclear if additional players or future draft picks were included in trade talks.
Having made quite the splash just over one week from the Feb. 8 trade deadline, the Clippers may next look to move Jordan and/or Lou Williams. For the Pistons, Griffin might provide the needed boost to snap an eight-game losing streak and climb back into the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
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