NBA Trade Rumors: The Detroit Pistons traded for the wrong forward

NBA Trade Rumors: The Detroit Pistons traded for the wrong forward; why they should’ve struck a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers

Yesterday, the Detroit Pistons traded for LA Clippers’ Blake Griffin, but was it the best deal?

Before we respond to that, let’s answer another question first: Did the trade benefit either team?

No, it didn’t.

Sure, the Pistons received an all-star caliber player. But, for what? If the goal was to fill seats in their new stadium, then sure, we may be able to call it a success one day. But if the goal is to win a championship, the move makes no sense.

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To win in today’s NBA, teams must be able to spread the floor and shoot from distance and in Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley, Detroit just traded its only two players who average more than 10 points per game while shooting over 35 percent from 3 — Bradley and Harris have made 38.1 and 40.9 percent of their 3-pointers this year respectively.

Now, Detroit will have a ball-dominant, possession stalling power forward to pair with a big man who can’t leave the paint and guards who aren’t threats behind the 3-point line.

Space will be harder to find than Waldo.

The Clippers didn’t fair much better, either. In fact, what did they even get?

Bradley can walk this summer as an unrestricted free agent and Harris, a UFA next summer, can leave a year later.

The best piece LA received for Griffin — a five-time all star who’s made six All-NBA teams — was one first round draft pick, which now after trading Griffin to Detroit, will probably never be a lottery pick.

Doesn’t sound too good for either team, does it?

But if Detroit really wanted to add a power forward with star power, they had a better option.

Enter, Kevin Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The current drama going on in Cleveland has been well documented and whether he’s at fault or not, Love seems to be in the middle of it as much as anyone else on the team.

The trade that should’ve been:

Pistons receive: Kevin Love

Cavaliers receive: Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris

Why Detroit does it: Stan Van Gundy loves his big men, but unlike Griffin, Love could have been the perfect complement to Drummond. The floor spacing he’d give Detroit would be unmatched and it’s fair to say, with Drummond and Love down low, the Pistons would have the edge on the boards every night out.

They also would’ve kept their future first-round pick.

Why Cleveland does it: Avery Bradley would be the perfect piece to slot in next to LeBron James, especially against Golden State, a team he’s had his fair share of success against. Bradley can lock up any guard on the defensive end, something Cleveland desperately needs, and he can also spread the floor on offense, sit in the corner and shoot 40 percent from three.

Now Harris is no Love, but in the Cavaliers system, he wouldn’t be that much of an offensive downgrade — not as much as adding Bradley would be an upgrade. We all know his defense couldn’t be any worse than Love and here’s the kicker: Harris could actually play without being a liability against the Warriors.

In a perfect world, the Cavaliers would have then flipped the Brooklyn pick for Marc Gasol and Isaiah Thomas for Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum.

Both are realistic trades that have been speculated before.

Had they done that, the Cavaliers would’ve sported a lineup featuring Kemba, Bradley, James, Harris, Gasol with Batum, Crowder, Wade and Thompson coming off the bench.

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Now THAT is a team that could have challenged Golden State. On offense, the spacing would prevent double teams on James — or give 40 percent 3-points shooters wide-open 3’s — and those same offensive weapons are actually capable of playing defense on the other end.

But instead, the Clippers and Pistons have both downgraded their teams while simultaneously, and unintentionally, easing the path for another Warriors championship.

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