Blake Griffin is the best post-AD backup plan for Portland Trail Blazers

After the Lakers paid a king’s ransom to get Anthony Davis, the Portland Trail Blazers must switch gears and pursue another All-NBA player in Blake Griffin.

It was always a long shot from the outset, but news that the Lakers had finally packaged a deal to New Orleans’ liking in return for superstar Anthony Davis was still discouraging. Not only do the Portland Trail Blazers still seem one piece away from true title contention, but another challenger has stepped into the ring of the Western Conference battle royale.

In the wake of that blockbuster trade, perhaps a new opportunity might present itself on the horizon in the form of Blake Griffin. As vital as Al-Farouq Aminu’s defense has been for the Blazers, last year’s playoff run very clearly demonstrated he should not be the starting power forward for a championship team. Aminu should instead be relegated to being a valuable role player. Regardless, Portland’s need for a dominant power forward persists.

In Griffin’s first five seasons with the Clippers, he took the league by storm. After winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2011, Griffin would go on to prove he was just getting started. He would earn four All-NBA selections and five All-Star appearances over those first five years. However in 2016, Griffin struggled mightily with injuries that would linger into the future. He would not play more than 61 games in a year ever again for the Clippers, until he was traded to Detroit at February’s deadline in 2018.

However, Griffin seems to be in the midst of a career renaissance in Detroit. Refocusing his priorities away from Hollywood and celebrity relationships, and escaping the locker room dysfunction that follows Chris Paul wherever he goes has helped Griffin return to form. Averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, last season marked the first time Griffin received a All-NBA and All-Star selection since 2015.

The prospect of adding such a talented player raises the question, what would he cost?

To properly price up a player of Griffin’s caliber, you must first take into consideration Detroit’s circumstances and how much leverage they would have in negotiations. Even with Griffin leading the team, Detroit still only managed a mediocre 41-41 season and quick first-round exit in the playoffs.

The top six teams in the Eastern Conference aren’t going anywhere, while the Magic, Hornets and Heat all gave the Pistons a good battle for playoff seeding. Next year, the Hawks, Bulls and Knicks could all be joining the fray. Instead of waiting around and letting Griffin decline due to age while the Pistons fail to even make the playoffs, they could capitalize on his value now and kick-start a proper rebuild.

The above trade proposal is just the skeleton, one that could be built upon and altered accordingly. This trade works out financially and appeals to Detroit in three distinct ways.

1. Zach Collins: The Pistons have no real depth at either power forward or center. Thon Maker is the current heir to Griffin and Andre Drummond. Yes, that Thon Maker. Zach Collins would not only be the best young player on the Pistons to build around, but also fill an immediate hole in their rotation.
2. Draft capital: As stated above, the Pistons have no true building blocks for the future. With the No. 15 and 25 picks in this year’s draft, Detroit could either take two lottery ticket players and hope they pan out or perhaps package them together to get a player they love higher in the draft.
3. Financial relief: Griffin is set to make just shy of $39 million all the way through 2022. For a Blazers team that intends to extend Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, this isn’t an issue. For a Pistons team that’s in desperate need of a rebuild and new direction, that’s a different story. After trading Griffin away and having Reggie Jackson’s deal come off the books, the Pistons would have $77 million to build a team around Drummond in 2021 free agency.

Just over a year older than Lillard, Griffin fits the Portland Trail Blazers championship window perfectly. After adding a new facet to his game by taking seven three-point shots per game, Griffin has a distinct advantage over other suggested targets like Julius Randle. Acquiring Griffin would form possibly the most lethal trio of players on the offensive end in the entire league.

On the other side of the ball, Jusuf Nurkic and Moe Harkless could pick up the defensive slack. Regardless, each player in the starting five would be high-motor players that won’t let opposing teams chuck up open shots due to laziness.

This move also greatly reduces the Portland Trail Blazers’ need to grab several productive free agents to address several holes. Instead, Griffin could pick up the slack and the Blazers would be free to spend their money attempting to retain beloved players like Rodney Hood and Enes Kanter. Keeping Hood could help develop the promising Anfernee Simons even further, and keeping Kanter would allow Nurkic a full recovery timetable without the Blazers missing too much production in the meantime.

Making the bold move to grab Blake Griffin could net the Portland Trail Blazers the last difference maker they’ve been missing on the court. This move could also cause a ripple effect in the organization, inspiring players to return for a cheap with a new air of confidence about championship hopes. While virtually every player has holes in their game, Griffin would perfectly complement the current Blazers roster and could be the final piece to tip the scales in Portland’s favor.