Detroit Pistons Dealing? A Comprehensive Look At Possible Trades

Could a trade be imminent in Motown?

Despite many news outlets reporting that team president Joe Dumars is not planning on making a move, it seems unlikely that the Detroit Pistons will stand pat as the trade deadline quickly approaches.

For anyone that has watched the Pistons this year, it is obvious that this team cannot be successful as currently constructed. They are loaded with a handful of players that basically play the same position.

Terry Foster of the Detroit News is reporting that Dumars wants to see his team healthy before he makes any decisions on trades and that he currently does not know what he has and, therefore, "You don't know if you are a playoff team or not. So you don't talk about making trades."

(From the Detroit News : http://www.detnews.com/article/20100127/SPORTS0102/1270329/1004/SPORTS/Joe-Dumars-doesn-t-want-a-trade----yet#ixzz0dq9mqteK )

This tells us two things. One, he still thinks that his team has a chance to win this year, and therefore he may still try to improve this unit. Second, Dumars is trying to instill confidence in his team and put his players, especially his vets, at ease.

For those that have followed the Pistons during the reign of Dumars, we also know that this is exactly how the man operates.

How many people thought the Allen Iverson trade was going to happen last year?

Or that he would bring in Rasheed Wallace for spare parts?

How about the Jerry Stackhouse for Rip Hamilton deal of a few years ago?

The fact is that Dumars is the ultimate poker player and he will not show his hand before he strikes. This puts him in a position of strength and keeps the fans from forcing his hand by railing for a rumored deal.

However, there most certainly will be a deal. It is possible that this will not happen until before the draft, but it seems very probable that something will get done before the trading deadline.

Why? Because of the Wallace deal.

Sometimes one player can push a team over the top. Teams that are on the cusp of being elite are looking at the top teams in both conferences and are seeing weaknesses.

The Cleveland Cavs have the best record in the game, but they are slow, old, and quite vulnerable to teams with athletic, big men.

The Los Angeles Lakers appear to be soft and might be susceptible to slashing forwards.

The Boston Celtics are even older than the Cavs, and injuries could knock them right out of the conversation of the elite.

The San Antonio Spurs are limited offensively and could be reaching the end of their championship window.

Some of the teams immediately beneath the elite could be tempted into making a move in order to jump into the championship conversation.

Additionally, some of the elite teams could be working towards addressing their weaknesses and they may make a move to bolster their team.

Championships are the whole reason that teams exist and, when a season seems to be as wide open as this one is competition-wise, teams may make moves that they otherwise might not make.

There is also a wild card in this mix: The star-studded free agent class that is coming up this summer.

Some teams are going to want to entice a big-name free agent and some teams are going to try to keep their soon-to-be free agents.

That being said, here is a rundown of potential trade partners for the Detroit Pistons and the players that could be switching teams.

The Teams

In the East, you can automatically eliminate teams in the Central Division. Dumars is not going to want to help one of his rivals. Besides, only the Cavs are a lock for the playoffs and only the Chicago Bulls are on the cusp of the conversation.

Boston could be a possibility considering they were interested in Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton before the season began, but they do not have a lot to offer Detroit.

Of the other two elite teams in the east, Atlanta and Orlando, only Atlanta seems to be a fit with Detroit. Coach Mike Woodson was an assistant coach with Detroit before his gig with Atlanta and he may push management to bring in a player with championship pedigree.

However, Woodson has not always seen eye-to-eye with his bosses, and he may not hold sway with them.

This brings us to Toronto, Miami, and Charlotte. These are teams that may be only a player or two away from contention, and Miami and Toronto have superstars that they are going to try to keep happy.

The West is a much different story. Not only is Dumars more likely to deal with a team that he is not directly competing with, but also, this conference is much more competitive.

The Western Conference features 11 teams that have a reasonable expectation of making a run in May and June.

Of those teams, the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Portland Trail Blazers seem like the least likely trade partners. Los Angeles and Dallas are fairly deep in their backcourt and Portland is looking for big men, which Detroit is extremely thin at to begin with.

This leaves Denver, Utah, San Antonio, Memphis, Phoenix, Houston, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City. There are valid trade options with each of these teams, so let's take a look at the players.

The Players (Eastern Conference)

First off, let's finish up the East since this seems like the most unlikely place for Detroit to find a trading partner, save for one place: Charlotte.

One man in particular bodes well for Charlotte as a partner for Detroit, and that is coach Larry Brown.

Brown knows the Pistons roster probably as well as he knows his own. And while Brown is not the general manager of Charlotte, he is also not your ordinary coach, and his voice carries a lot more weight.

Can you imagine Brown walking into his boss' office and saying, "We are one veteran swing man away from contention," and having them ignore him? Me neither.

So what type of move would make sense? How about Tyson Chandler and D.J. Augustin for Hamilton and Jason Maxiell?

Chandler has a big contract, but he would fill a huge need for Detroit, and Augustin would allow Stuckey to move back to his comfort zone of shooting guard.

For Charlotte, this move would give them some added physicality in the frontcourt and would allow them to bring Stephen Jackson off the bench for a very explosive sixth man option. Detroit could also throw in a protected draft pick, as well, to sweeten up the pot.

The only other team that seems like a likely in the East is Atlanta, which would probably like to have a guy like Prince. The problem is that Atlanta doesn't have anyone on their team, besides maybe Marvin Williams or Jeff Teague, that Detroit would want. Only Teague fills a need for the Pistons, and his salary is just too small for a trade to work.

As for the Chris Bosh rumors, those likely can be put to bed. Toronto is looking for more than Detroit can offer for the big man, unless they are willing to part with Ben Gordon.

I do see Bosh getting traded, but he will be shipped to a contender that won't mind losing him at the end of the year.

(Just as a side note, look for Bosh and LeBron James to be teammates next season; I don't know where, but I just have a feeling.)

The Players (Western Conference)

Noticeably missing from the list of teams that could be trading partners with Detroit was the Los Angeles Clippers. While many Pistons fans would love to see Chris Kaman come home and play for the 'Stons, Los Angeles seems unwilling to deal their big man.

A more likely player to be shipped out of Clipperland would be Marcus Camby, but his age makes him an unlikely target for Detroit. Look for Camby to end up on a contender before the season ends.

Another player that has been rumored to be on the block and would conceivably fill a void for Detroit is Utah's Carlos Boozer.

While Utah could definitely use a shooting guard like Hamilton or a backup point guard like Will Bynum, a move like this would strictly be a salary dump for Detroit.

Boozer cannot be trusted to honor any agreement save for a contract, and therefore Dumars would be apprehensive to bring in a guy with a questionable character.

Besides, Boozer is fairly undersized and is not a shot blocking threat, therefore he would not pair well with Charlie Villanueva, essentially relegating the Pistons forward to the bench for the foreseeable future. Given his contract, that may not be a wise investment for Detroit.

Ama're Stoudemire has also been rumored to be a Detroit target this season. While Stoudemire has the size and scoring ability to make for an attractive option, there are also major red flags for Detroit.

First, he is a terrible defender. For a team that already has a few questionable defensive players, this may be too much for them to overcome. Sure, Dumars wants to be a more dynamic offensive team, but he needs guys that know how to play at least some defense.

Also, Stoudemire is a free agent after this year and likely is going to want to test the water. Could Detroit really afford to bring him back for a max contract? Probably not, especially for a guy with a history of injuries.

Stoudemire may yet be dealt, but don't rule out the possibility that he re-signs with Phoenix.

Memphis forward Rudy Gay has recently been brought up as a possible Pistons target, something that should be viewed as a long shot at best.

Sure, he is a talented small forward with a lot of potential and youth on his side. However, Memphis has been surging recently and I just don't see them breaking up this team yet, even though they are doubtful that they can re-sign him.

That being said, Gay could become a Pistons target in the offseason if they swing a trade to free up cap space before then.

Denver would love to add Hamilton and pair him back up with his former backcourt mate Chauncey Billups. However, any trade would have to include Nene, and the Nuggets likely would not break up their frontcourt, given how close they already are to elite status.

Houston is still trying to get rid of Tracy McGrady, but Dumars does not seem to be too keen on bringing in the former All-Star. If the Pistons get desperate to drop salaries, they could re-visit this as an option and Houston might be receptive. Detroit could trade both Hamilton and Prince for McGrady, a deal that would make the Rockets better in the short term, but may be a little too long in the tooth for their liking.

For Detroit, this trade makes a lot of sense. It would free up over $22 million in cap space for Dumars to make a move or two in the offseason. Also, it would allow his young guys like Austin Daye and Jonas Jerebko to get valuable playing time this year and would put Detroit right in the mix for the No. 1 pick and Kentucky's point guard John Wall.

If Detroit is where they are at now standings-wise at the deadline, look for Dumars to revisit this trade.

New Orleans is looking to free up cap space and likely will not be much of a trading partner for Detroit. The biggest exception to this would be center Emeka Okafor, who Detroit would love to add.

However, Detroit does not have expiring contracts that New Orleans would demand, although Prince does only have one more year on his contract. If the Hornets get desperate for cash, this could happen.

This leaves two teams, both with vastly different rosters age-wise, but both arguably in similar spots of contention in the Western Conference.

The San Antonio Spurs are nearing the end of their championship window. Their franchise cornerstone, Tim Duncan, is reaching the twilight of his brilliant career. As he goes, so goes the Spurs, and they know it.

Could this be the last year that they could make a run in the competitive West? If so, there is no way they can be happy with their shooting guard options. Furthermore, Richard Jefferson's underwhelming play may make them look long and hard at Prince.

The flipside of this is that the Spurs have very little to bargain with. Detroit would love to add point guard George Hill and maybe center Ian Mahinmi.

However, the Spurs would have to throw in a number of other salaries to make it work, namely Michael Finley, Matt Bonner, and Roger Mason. It's possible, but not probable.

This brings me to the dark horse team in this year's trade bonanza: Oklahoma City.

I know. What exactly is the Thunder doing among the playoff teams in the West? Well, while you weren't looking, Oklahoma City went out and became a solid basketball team.

The Thunder is currently on the outside looking in on the playoffs, but they are right in the thick of things. The biggest weaknesses they currently have are inexperience and the shooting guard position.

Hamilton would solve both of those problems and provide a solid shooting touch to a team desperate for offensive consistency.

So what is in it for Detroit? On the Oklahoma City roster, not a lot, so it would require a third team to make it work. However, this could become a real possibility if Oklahoma City can leap frog a few teams in their conference.

Bottom Line

Detroit is going to make a move; they have no choice. Their best trading pieces, Prince and Hamilton, are not getting any younger.

The only question right now is whether or not one of the contending teams is desperate enough to make a move.

As we come closer to the trade deadline, Detroit will become a major player in this year's rumor mill.

Joe Dumars has shown an ability to play it cool and he undoubtedly is weighing his options.

The question now is not if, but when, he will strike a deal.