In an out-of-left-field move, the Los Angeles Clippers traded star forward Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons with big men Willie Reed and Brice Johnson in exchange for forward Tobias Harris, guard Avery Bradley, center Boban Marjanovic, a 2018 first-round pick and a 2019 second-round pick on Monday. This is the second major shakeup for the Clippers in seven months after six years of relative stasis with Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan comprising their core.
Jordan, by the way, will be a free agent in July if he does not exercise his $24.1 million player option for next season. His future in Los Angeles is up in the air, and there are many, many questions about what's next for the organization. Here are seven of them:
Why do this deal?
It gives the Clippers flexibility, which is a word that has not been associated with this franchise in quite some time. Bradley and guard Lou Williams will be unrestricted free agents in the summer, and Jordan might be, too. If they want to do a full-fledged rebuild, they can do that, with the contracts of Sam Dekker ($2.8 million), Patrick Beverley ($5 million), Wesley Johnson ($6.1 million), Milos Teodosic ($6.3 million), Marjanovic ($7 million) Austin Rivers ($12.7 million) and Harris ($14.8 million) all coming off the books in 2019.
Suddenly, Los Angeles is what it never was in the Paul-Griffin-Jordan era: deep, versatile and in a position to make all sorts of different moves. The extra first-rounder is particularly nice given that the Clippers owe their own 2019 pick to Boston, and they may be able to acquire more picks if they trade away some of their veterans. Which brings us to …
Are there more moves coming?
The trade deadline is next Thursday, and the Clippers remain a team to watch. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that they are simultaneously exploring contract extensions for Jordan and Williams and gauging their trade value. You also have to wonder if Bradley has a long-term future in Los Angeles -- he has history with coach Doc Rivers from their Boston Celtics days, but he's also on an $8.8 million expiring contract and will cost significantly more than that to retain. If the Clippers aren't sure about re-signing him, then they must at least see if a contending team is willing to part with a first-round pick in order to have a better chance of defending Stephen Curry.
Could the Clippers actually be better now?
Maybe! As talented as Griffin is, this group is more balanced. Harris is in the middle of a career season, and he is a snug fit as a stretch-four next to Jordan. With Beverley out for the season, Bradley's one-on-one defense against point guards fills a need. The front office might not let us find out the answer to this question, but it is fascinating, especially if Danilo Gallinari looks like himself when he returns from his glute injury in the coming days.
Did Griffin's injury history have anything to do with this?
Combined with his age (he will be 29 in March) and contract (he will be making $39 million in 2021-22), it must have. While Griffin is the best player in this deal, there is no guarantee that his play will justify the franchise-player money he will be making in the back half of this contract. Part of that is because he has dealt with numerous serious injuries in the past few seasons.
Is this all about free agency?
On one hand, the Clippers can't sell stars on the idea of teaming up with Griffin anymore. On the other, they have opened up a ton of potential cap space here. I'm not sure if you've heard, but LeBron James and Paul George (a Clippers fan growing up!) will be free agents in July.
Hmm.
What does Jordan think about all this?
Jordan is not just the only Clipper who played for Vinny Del Negro. He is the only Clipper who started the 2014-15 season -- the one that ended with them collapsing against the Houston Rockets -- on the roster (Austin Rivers joined midseason).
It would be understandable if Jordan wanted a fresh start. At the same time, this essentially is a fresh start. The high expectations are all gone, and there will be no more questions about whether or not Griffin and Jordan are an ideal pairing in today's NBA. When thinking about a contract extension and his player option, he has a lot to think about.
Could Jordan go from the guy who almost bolted for Dallas in 2015 to the guy who is recruiting other stars to join him this summer or next? Could he be moved in the next 10 days? Both scenarios seem like they are within the realm of possibility.
What does this mean for Doc?
Rivers is no longer the president of the team, and his contract as coach expires after next season. If he isn't excited about the direction of the team or owner Steve Ballmer isn't sold on him being around long-term, then this could wind up being seen as the beginning of the end for him with the franchise. This is a pretty strange thing to consider, given that Rivers is a fringe Coach of the Year candidate based on how Los Angeles kept afloat while dealing with significant injuries this season.
