NBA Rumors: Trail Blazers Could Send Collins, Bazemore, Little, And Draft Picks To Pistons For Blake Griffin
The crazy 2019 NBA offseason featured several NBA superstar leaving their respective teams to chase an NBA championship title somewhere else. Though all the big names on the free agency market have already found a new home, there are still plenty of players who could be moved before the 2019-20 NBA season officially starts. One of the NBA superstars who is expected to be traded next is Blake Griffin of the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons may have made some upgrades on their roster this summer, but it won’t likely be enough to put them on top next season, especially with the emergence of numerous powerhouse teams in the Eastern Conference. Blake Griffin is yet to demand a trade from the Pistons, but at this point in his NBA career, he would be better off playing for a legitimate title contender than wasting his prime on a mediocre team like Detroit.
According to Fadeaway World, one of the most intriguing landing spots for Griffin is the Portland Trail Blazers.
The explosive backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum reached another milestone in the 2018-19 NBA season when they made their first appearance in the Western Conference Finals. However, after suffering a defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, it’s crystal clear that the Trail Blazers need another superstar alongside Lillard and McCollum to have a realistic chance of contending for the NBA championship.
As Fadeaway World noted, Griffin would be an incredible fit in Portland, giving them an All-Star caliber big man who has the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc.
“If they play their cards right, the Trail Blazers could be the ones to acquire Griffin. The fit in Portland could very well exist with Blake’s refined unselfishness and overall game. The Pistons have to be keen on receiving a package centered around Kent Bazemore, Zach Collins and Nassir Little with some picks. The Blazers, meanwhile, get a chance to contend for Championships for years to come. Blake is a great talent, but is he enough to take Detroit all the way? This deal would essentially give them a chance to start over.”
Blake Griffin on the Clippers’ new duo. ? pic.twitter.com/bVnOPL4S3T
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) August 3, 2019
To acquire Blake Griffin, Fadeaway World suggested that the Trail Blazers could offer a trade package including Zach Collins, Kent Bazemore, Nassir Little, a future first-round pick, and a future second-round pick to the Pistons. To make the deal work financially, the Trail Blazers would need to add more players in order to match the Pistons’ outgoing salary.
The proposed trade deal would only make sense for the Pistons if they finally decide to take a different route. Acquiring the likes of Zach Collins and Nassir Little, together with future draft picks, would enable them to speed up the rebuilding process, while Kent Bazemore’s expiring contract would give them the salary cap flexibility for the summer of 2020.
As of now, the Pistons haven’t shown any sign that they are planning to trade Blake Griffin anytime soon. However, if they struggle early in the 2019-20 NBA season, expect rumors surrounding Griffin to heat up.
