DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers completed a blockbuster deal this week sending Blake Griffin to Detroit - but what if it didn't work out?
Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated published a report Thursday detailing the inner workings behind the Pistons deal for Griffin, dating back to trade rumors that started last year.
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The report said the Pistons came close to trading both Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, in separate deals, during the offseason.
Related: Here's why the Detroit Pistons had to pull off the Blake Griffin trade
The Pistons were also reportedly "within inches" of swapping Reggie Jackson for Eric Bledsoe in November.
Here's more from the SI story:
Detroit looked into Danny Green, Jordan Clarkson, Tyreke Evans, Rodney Hood and Courtney Lee, according to league sources. Orlando called offering a package of Evan Fournier and Elfrid Payton for a deal centered around Kennard, but that was a non-starter for the Pistons. All these preliminary conversations and prep work made one thing clear to Detroit. "It's becoming a wing league, and not many teams are willing to move those players,” said one team source. “We were willing to give up ours."
For Detroit, the deal needed to be consummated well in advance of the trade deadline. Including Tuesday night’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, eight of the team’s nine games before the All-Star break are at home. “It’s time to make a run now,” said one team source. If the Pistons failed to close on Griffin, Detroit was prepared to turn its attention to Kevin Love.