The NBA trade deadline is an exciting time of year. Teams’ futures and legacies can be altered in a matter of seconds. About a week and and a half before this year’s Feb. 8 deadline, the league seemed quiet with no big moves.

Then, in one swift motion the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Clippers organizations turned the sports world upside down with Detroit’s acquisition of all-star Blake Griffin. The Clippers received forward Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic and the Piston’s future first round draft pick.

Any way you slice it, this is a risky move for the Pistons. Griffin, known mostly for his incredible athleticism, flashy dunks, solid defense and reliable mid-range scoring, has long been an injury prone player. The Pistons management are taking a gamble on him staying healthy with such an expensive contract.

Considering all these risks it begs the question, why would the Pistons give up solid players and their first round pick for a forward arguably past his prime with health problems in the past? Well, the truth is there’s a bigger picture here. The Pistons have a losing record this season, to go along with deplorable attendance numbers at their new arena. Stan Van Gundy is struggling to get his team to string together wins on a consistent basis, with his 5-year coaching contract nearing its end. There’s no denying a big move like this will put butts in the seats. As far as team chemistry between all-star center Andre Drummond and the new addition in Griffin, the result remains yet to be seen.

No one in their right mind would tell you this is a clear positive for the Pistons. It’s evident that this was a desperate attempt to jump-start the Pistons team and enthuse the fans. And in those parameters, it’s succeeded so far. Detroit fans haven’t been this excited about basketball since Motown’s playoff berth in 2016, which was quickly thwarted by an overwhelmingly talented Cavaliers team.

So we’ll just have to see, if Blake can play efficiently and selfishly with his teammates. If he does, we could see some of the Pistons of old, maybe even reminiscent of the “Bad Boys.” It could lead to a playoff push in the near future. But if he doesn’t, the Pistons’ management will have their hands full rehabilitating the team’s financial situation and talent level that had the last rusty nail put in their coffin by Blake Griffin.