Philadelphia 76ers: Let’s talk about a Blake Griffin trade

Should the Philadelphia 76ers reunite Doc Rivers and Blake Griffin.

The Philadelphia 76ers have pigeonholed themselves into the conceptual void of “tall ball” until further notice. The Lakers made it clear you can win basketball games with size and power. But the Lakers also had LeBron James, and the Sixers’ lack of cohesiveness stood in contrast to LA’s harmonious chemistry last season.

Two of the worst contracts in basketball are overwhelmingly responsible for the Sixers’ dreadful 2019-20 campaign. Tobias Harris is nowhere close to a $180 million player, while Al Horford — signed to a lofty $109 million deal — was quickly proven ineffective as a complement to Philadelphia’s core players.

Harris’ contract is too much an albatross to trade. It won’t happen. Horford, on the other hand, is a more feasible trade chip, even if his contract will still active gag reflexes in most front offices. If the Sixers are going to flip a bad contract for a more useful player(s), it’s Horford.

More from Sixers News

• 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
• 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
• 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
• Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
• Breaking Down Bombshell Report on Sixers Star James Harden

Several teams have been tied to Horford in the hypotheticals mill. Some like his fit in Golden State next to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Others think the Kings, who went after Horford last summer, may be inclined to seek a trade. Oklahoma City and Chris Paul are at the top of many wishlists.

If the Sixers strike out there, however, there is a more logical destination. In fact, it may be the most logical destination. Detroit, home of the NBA’s next sweeping rebuild, and home to a former star who is familiar with Philadelphia’s new head coach: Blake Griffin.

The Pistons are widely expected to start from scratch next season. Griffin may come along for the ride, but Detroit would happily trade him if the return is a slight boost in draft capital. The Sixers can offer Horford, salary filler, plus a few second-round picks, and both sides may have a deal.

For Detroit, the goal is not to compete in the near future. The extra year on Horford’s contract is negligible, especially when he’s only guaranteed part of his salary — roughly $14 million — in the final year of his deal. Griffin’s contract is a year shorter, so Philadelphia gets closer to freeing up that cap space.

The Sixers can also get more out of Griffin if he’s healthy. That’s a big if these days — Griffin struggled to stay on the floor last season — but when he’s on, Griffin is still a dynamic talent who makes more sense in Philadelphia’s grossly disfigured rotation.

Another big man isn’t the ideal outcome for Philadelphia, as it would require Tobias Harris to spend more time at small forward, but if the Sixers are going to try to win, Griffin offers a higher ceiling than Horford. This is an “if all else fails” trade. The Sixers shouldn’t call Detroit first thing tomorrow, but if the alternative is another season of Horford, then Griffin becomes a worthwhile gamble.

The Rivers-Griffin connection is worth exploring. Griffin is a more freewheeling 3-point shooter than Horford, and he brings a lot of interesting skills to an up-tempo, downhill attack — the offense Rivers advertised in his introductory press conference. If the Sixers are pushing the pace, cutting hard to the rim, and feasting on mismatches, there’s an avenue to Griffin fitting in.

Just one year ago, in the 2018-19 season, Griffin was an All-Star, averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while hitting 36.2 percent of his seven 3-point attempts per game. He is past his prime, and those numbers may already be far in the rearview mirror, but it’s not impossible for a rested and recharged Griffin to add some juice to a Sixers rotation in desperate need of a kick.

Griffin is a battering ram. He’s one of the most powerful players in basketball. He can eviscerate smaller defenders in the post, while still possessing the face-up game necessary to punish bigger, slower defenders on the perimeter. When healthy, he can comfortably splash pull-up 3s, and he’s a thrill in transition.

There’s a lot to like, even if he’s competing for space with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris. Part of the reason Horford never worked was because he couldn’t adapt to more time on the perimeter. Griffin is more comfortable chucking 3s, he’s more dynamic in transition, and he’s more capable of putting the ball on the floor. He’s at least a change of pace, and a new direction for Philadelphia’s tall ball experiment.

In the end, I’m not sure Griffin raises the Sixers’ floor all that much. He’s still not a clean fit, and the defense could suffer even more than it did with Horford. But if the trade market for Horford is truly barren, which is not unlikely, then it becomes a simple exercise in hope. Griffin, if nothing else, might work. There’s upside. Horford no longer has upside.

It’s also not impossible to flip Griffin after the season, when he becomes an expiring contract. Or even at the trade deadline, if a team comes knocking. Griffin’s trade value and Horford’s trade value are locked in the same basement, so the Sixers are essentially risking Mike Scott and second-round picks to see if Griffin can unlock his prior magic under a former coach. It’s not the worst last resort.