Could the Detroit Pistons trade Blake Griffin?

NBA: Detroit Pistons at Utah Jazz

The Detroit Pistons hired Troy Weaver as general manager earlier in the year, and the rebuild is officially on.

And that’s why the team could look to completely blow up its roster, moving its veterans — especially those on hefty contracts — in doing so. Brandon Knight and Tony Snell combined to make $27 million last season, so the team would certainly benefit from getting them off the books, but good luck pulling that off.

Enter Blake Griffin.

Griffin made $36.595 million last season, and he’s set to earn $38.95 million in 2020-21. After that, he’ll become a free agent. It’s an interesting situation, as his contract next season will count for quite a lot on the books, but there’s still some flexibility baked in, given that it’ll be the final year of his contract.

And that’s why Griffin is already being mentioned in trade talks. ESPN’s Zach Lowe spoke about Griffin’s situation on a recent episode of his podcast.

“Enough people have asked me what I’ve heard about Blake Griffin and how he’s looking, what am I hearing,” Lowe began. “This and that. That I think Detroit is going to have a market for him. I don’t think it’s going to be strong. They’re not getting two first-round picks. Or even a first-round pick unless they take back something onerous too. But I’ve had enough teams ask me about Blake Griffin that I think there is still interest in what he can do to help you win.”

The Warriors make a lot of sense in terms of a potential trade partner, as do a team like the Rockets.

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