Report: Blake Griffin's Knee Injury This Season Was 'Red Flag' for Steve Ballmer

Blake Griffin has been a Los Angeles Clippers staple ever since the franchise drafted him No. 1 overall in 2009, but his knee injury reportedly played a role in the decision to trade him to the Detroit Pistons on Monday.      

According to David Aldridge of NBA.com, owner Steve Ballmer saw Griffin's health as a "red flag" after the forward missed a month earlier this season with a sprained left MCL.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com initially reported news of the trade Monday, and Aldridge noted the Clippers received guard Avery Bradley, forward Tobias Harris, center Boban Marjanovic and a future first-round draft pick in exchange for Griffin, big man Willie Reed and forward Brice Johnson.

Despite the trade, Aldridge described Ballmer as "a huge Griffin fan" and detailed how the Clippers used video tributes and T-shirts to convince him to sign a five-year, $175 million max extension after they traded Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets this past offseason.

Griffin is second on the team's all-time scoring list and became known for his high-flying dunks and presence as a dominant scorer in the frontcourt. Aldridge wrote he "was the highlight-reel road upon which the Clippers, long the far-behind second team in Los Angeles behind the Lakers, finally became relevant and a sustained winner." 

The connection was clear in Griffin's message to the fans Tuesday, when he thanked them for their support and discussed how proud he was of his Clippers tenure:

Even with Griffin's return from injury, Aldridge noted the Clips "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."

That suggests there are more moves to come, and Wojnarowski reported Los Angeles is looking for young players or draft picks in possible deals involving DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams. Aldridge noted how moving Griffin's salary will help Los Angeles in the 2019 offseason "with as much as $40 million in cap space possibly available."

The Clippers are focused on the future, but the Pistons have their own playoff race to worry about. Despite losing eight in a row, they are only 2.5 games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture and now have a five-time All-Star in the frontcourt alongside Andre Drummond.