In January 2018 the Detroit Pistons shocked the NBA when they swung for the fences and traded for Blake Griffin and the gargantuan five-year $171 million contract. Heck, they even shocked Blake Griffin himself, who had signed his monster new deal on the premise of being a “Clipper for life.”
As we approach the one-year anniversary of that franchise altering trade it has become increasingly clear that the move has not worked out for the Pistons or for Griffin nearly as well as was hoped. Bad drafts, bad contracts, bad talent evaluation and bad roster management have created a true mess in Detroit.