The LA Clippers did the unthinkable today, when they traded their homegrown superstar Blake Griffin. It was reported that this year’s trade deadline would be a quiet one, with maybe George Hill being the biggest name traded. Instead, it was met with a boom. Blake Griffin, Willie Reed, and Brice Johnson were traded to Detroit for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and two future draft picks.
The Clippers and Pistons have agreed on a deal to trade Blake Griffin for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, a first-round and a second-round draft pick, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 29, 2018
Throughout the season, most people expected the Clippers to trade Deandre Jordan. Not many people expected Blake Griffin to be traded, especially because the Clippers just re-signed him this summer to a five-year $171 million deal. What’s also surprising is that the Clippers have been playing good basketball recently, going 14-6 in their last 20 games despite injuries. The team is only .5 games out of the 8th spot, and 2 games out of the 6th spot.
Griffin has been one of the only homegrown superstars of the organization, and is an iconic face for the team. Much of the media has put the Clippers under scrutiny, for immediately trading Blake after deeming him “a Clipper for life.”
Media Reaction
Pretty awkward to re-read this from @ZachLowe_NBA on the Clippers free agency pitch to Blake Griffin from just last summer. pic.twitter.com/eDYz5tIto8
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) January 29, 2018
The Clippers went through such an extraordinary effort to make Blake Griffin stay, only to get rid of him 6 months later.
First reaction to Clippers trading Blake Griffin: they literally pitched him on being Mr Clipper with a grand free agent presentation in June. Today they ship him to Detroit. Oof!
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 29, 2018
What if I told you a team sold you on being a pioneer in Los Angeles only to ship you to Detroit when you signed on the dotted line. pic.twitter.com/QEqkvgBOpQ
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) January 29, 2018
Player Reaction
NBA Players were equally as stunned when they heard news of the trade, with many of them reiterating the cold business nature of the NBA. Some of the players included: Kyle Kuzma, Sam Dekker, and CJ McCollum.
https://twitter.com/dekker/status/958120972657180672
The trades have begun…. #ItsABusiness
— Garrett Temple (@GTemp17) January 30, 2018
👀
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) January 29, 2018
Let the trades begin sheeeesh
— kuz (@kylekuzma) January 29, 2018
But perhaps the best reaction came from Blake Griffin himself.
— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin23) January 30, 2018
NBA players have been put on notice with this trade, and nobody is safe.
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