The Detroit Pistons have been known for their terrible front office since the start of the 2010s and that hasn’t changed now that we entered a new decade. This team became one of the strongest in the Eastern Conference during the 2000s but things changed with the decade, starting to make very bad decisions that are still hunting them.
They haven’t changed the way they do businesses and right now are subject to criticism for dealing good players and getting almost nothing in return. Recently, with the buyout of Blake Griffin (who signed with the Brooklyn Nets after clearing waivers), Swishline recalled all the good assets the Pistons had and let go without getting a major return for them.
Tobias Harris, Reggie Jackson, Andre Drummond, and Blake Griffin were all part of the team at some point in their careers and they bought some of them or trade them for almost nothing.
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Harris was the first one to be traded. He was part of the move that sent Blake Griffin to Motor City and the forward landed in Los Angeles. He, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, and a future protected first-round draft pick and a future second-round draft pick were sent to L.A. while Griffin, Willie Reed, and Brice Johnson found their way to Detroit.
Jackson spent the first 4 years of his career with the Thunder before he was traded to Detroit in 2015. He spent 5 years there before they agreed to a buyout last season. Shortly after that, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Andre Drummond was arguably the only attraction this team had for the past five years or so. The big man never was able to lead the team to compete in the East and the front office decided it was time for him to get a new start. On February 6, they sent the big man to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Brandon Knight, John Henson, and a 2023 second-round draft pick.
The most recent case happened with Blake Griffin, part of the first deal that sent Tobias Harris (one of the figures of the Philadelphia 76ers right now) to Los Angeles. Griffin had a hefty contract (five-year, $173 million) and it was really hard to move that. The player and the team agreed to a buyout and on March 5, signing with the Nets three days later.
In the end, they only got one second-round pick in exchange for all these four players. Andre Drummond was their most valuable player and it’s really weird that they let the center go for that poor return. They also traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr. and dealt Christian Wood to Houston in exchange for Trevor Ariza and the draft rights to Isaiah Stewart, a future second-round pick, and cash considerations.
The Pistons’ front office has mastered the ‘art’ of making bad decisions and it’s unclear what the future holds for them.
