Did The Clippers Make The Right Move?

The LA Clippers are making noise in the Western Conference, but it may not be in a good way for this team, at least in terms of their chances of making the playoffs this season.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported news of a trade on Monday night that saw Clippers All-Star and staple Blake Griffin being shipped to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for guard Avery Bradley, forward Tobias Harris, center Boban Marjanovic, and a future first-round draft pick. Big man Willie Reed and forward Brice Johnson were also part of the trade to Detroit. It leaves us with one feeling about this team: They're building for the future and not for this season.

New reports out on Tuesday from NBA.com's David Aldridge cites that owner Steve Ballmer emphasized Blake Griffin's health and injuries as a result of this trade going forward. Earlier this season, Griffin missed a significant period of time with a sprained left MCL. The fear from Ballmer was that he would've reinjured it again and then the Clippers would've lost more games and be out of the playoffs entirely. With this trade, the signal from this was that they wanted to cut their losses, get rid of people who were constantly getting injured, and try to build for the future.

David Aldridge has described Ballmer as being a "huge Griffin fan." Ballmer used a bunch of tributes and T-shirts to convince Griffin to sign the big five-year deal over the summer. It came on the heels of Chris Paul being traded to the Rockets this offseason. Now, it looks like that deal was for nothing, and for Steve Ballmer, it signaled a change of heart about Griffin and his future on the team.

Also according to Aldridge, the Clippers apparently became convinced that "they not only weren't a real contender this season, but wouldn't be next season as well with the current roster."

This suggestion leads many to believe that both DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams will most likely be out of Los Angeles sooner rather than later. If I know one thing about Ballmer, it's this: He's always thinking about the future and about how to deal with success in the long-term. He's done well in business because of that thinking and for right now, he believes the long-term success of the Clippers can't revolve around Blake Griffin.

I tend to agree not because I think Ballmer is very smart of this, but because Blake Griffin can no longer be counted on to get this team far in the playoffs. He's been out with injuries the last few playoff seasons and they haven't been able to get out of the first round since they beat the Warriors in a seven-game series a few years ago, and since then, the Warriors have won two championship. So it's become clear that Griffin is no longer the answer.

I feel bad for Clippers fans and for Blake Griffin, because I thought he would be with this team for the rest of his career, much like Kobe Bryant was for the Lakers. Going up to yesterday's trade, Griffin is second on the team's all-time scoring list and has become well-known for his dunks and a dominant scorer. He was a big reason the Clippers got out from under the shadow of the Lakers and became a powerhouse team to contend with.

But now things have changed, and the Clippers are going to have to start over. Many analysts and experts had predicted this for months, and this trade signifies they're not going after the playoffs this season. They want to start over, they want to get younger, and they want to get people who they believe will help them gain success in the long run. That could be Tobias Harris or Avery Bradley or anybody else who's young and up-and-coming on that team. Either way, it ain't Blake Griffin, who is now a Piston and will try to get this team in a spot for the playoffs.

In terms of the long-term, this is a good deal for the Clippers, because I don't think they're worried about this season. They know they can't be the Warriors or even contend for the playoffs. Maybe it'll serve as a wake-up call for the rest of the team to play better and win some games. Either way, it's a long-term investment for Steve Ballmer and that's why he is so good at what he does. He evaluates the team, figures out how they can be built for success in the long run, and he invests wisely. He's very smart and I think that he did Clippers fans a favor by allowing them to get players that could help them out in the future.

The time had come for Blake Griffin. Despite a five-year deal, the rumors swirling that he was going to get traded signaled a change for the Clippers. They're not the team they once were and injuries to both Griffin and Chris Paul doomed this team in the playoffs. They need a change, they need to start over, and they realized it was time for other players to step up to the plate. It's a good direction that the Clippers are going and I hope it helps build for the future of this team.