NBA Rumors: Pistons Could Send Blake Griffin & No. 7 Pick To Warriors For Andrew Wiggins & No. 2 Pick
Since the trade of Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers, rumors have been continuously swirling around All-Star power forward Blake Griffin and his future with the Detroit Pistons. With Drummond gone, most people believe that the Pistons will trade him next and undergo a full-scale rebuild. One of the potential trade partners for the Pistons in a deal involving Griffin is the Golden State Warriors.
According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, the Pistons may consider sending a package that includes Griffin and the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to the Warriors in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and the No. 2 selection. If the trade becomes a reality, Buckley believes that it would help both teams improve their rosters.
“The Pistons, in turn, would go from an aimless rebuild to now having a top prospect at the heart of the project. Even if they all have weaknesses, Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman also have potential paths to stardom. The same might be true of the players on the board at No. 7, but they wouldn’t have the same pedigree or as good of odds of climbing that high. That would be the drive for Detroit, though Andrew Wiggins still has the age (25) and tools to make him worthy of a developmental project.”
The proposed scenario would be a no-brainer for the Pistons, especially if they are really considering taking a different route. It wouldn’t only enable them to dump Griffin and his massive contract, but it would also allow them to move up in the 2020 NBA Draft while acquiring a young and promising talent in Wiggins. Wiggins may have had some ups and downs in his career, but being traded to a team where he could potentially be the main guy could help him get on the path to becoming a legitimate superstar in the league.
Meanwhile, trading for Griffin would undeniably be a huge gamble for the Warriors. The 31-year-old power forward is still recovering from a left knee injury and is owed $75.8 million over the next two years. However, Buckley writes that if he manages to regain full health, he would boost Golden State’s chances of fully dominating the loaded Western Conference and bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the 2020-21 NBA season.
When healthy, Griffin could give the Warriors a very reliable scoring option, rebounder, playmaker, and floor-spacer. His arrival in Golden State would allow them to fulfill their dream of turning their lottery selection into an All-Star that would help Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green next year. Using the No. 7 pick, the Warriors could add young and promising talent to their roster or include it in a separate deal to further improve their depth.
