NBA Rumors 2010: Can Tracy McGrady Help the Detroit Pistons?

Tracy McGrady is perhaps the biggest name left on the free agent market. There have been many possible destinations for the 31 year old swingman to land, from Miami to Chicago to Los Angeles.

With Miami never sharing mutual interest to McGrady, he turned to the Chicago Bulls who seemed intrigued at the possibility of adding the star to their rebuilt cast.  However, after working out with the organization, McGrady was denied by the Bulls, as Chicago set out to sign free agent Keith Bogans.

Now there is a buzz about a new team interested in adding McGrady to their lineup: the Detroit Pistons.  Detroit is coming off one of their worst years in recent history, acquiring only 27 wins last season compared to 55 losses.  

The Pistons' interest in McGrady seems to be real, as it has been reported the organization is meeting with representatives of McGrady today. 

By going to the Motor City, McGrady would certainly get what he wants in that he would most likely start and not have to settle for a limited role, something he was worried about when Chicago was in talks with him.  However, he knows Detroit will probably not be a serious contender, something else he was looking for.

So the question is, should the Pistons venture out and sign McGrady, how much could he help them?

Scoring Boost

A big part of last year's dismal season for Detroit was their lack of offense.  The Pistons averaged 94 points per game, ranking 29th in the league.  Yes, that's second to last only topping the New Jersey Nets.

Tracy McGrady, barring he stays healthy, could come in and provide an immediate spark to the offense.  McGrady says he feels as if he still can contribute to a team, and this would be his chance to prove it.

However, if he's not healthy, McGrady is almost useless.  But by offering a one year minimum veteran's contract of $1.35 million, it's a risk the Pistons could afford to take.

Ticket Sales Increase

Okay, so maybe McGrady wouldn't make ticket sales sky rocket in Detroit, but he would certainly add interest to the team for the average Pistons fan.  Any time a super star comes to town, past their prime or not, local interest in the team rises.  Even if it's only for a short while.

Detroit has always been a good basketball city, consistently drawing solid attendance.  Despite their atrocious product on the court last year, they still managed to rank seventh in overall attendance, averaging over 18,000 a game.

By adding McGrady, you can almost guarantee those numbers to increase. Even if just slightly for the first part of the season, as those in Detroit would be eager to check out their new star.

Enable Detroit to Make Moves

Despite being key pieces in the Pistons' title run a few years back, rumors have been flying around that Detroit could possibly move both Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton.

In signing McGrady, the Pistons would gain room to make a move and trade either Prince or Hamilton, or possibly both.  Many believe it is time for the Pistons to move on and let go of their loyal veterans and look forward to rebuilding.  Likewise, some believe Hamilton and Prince could benefit from trades and would prosper in other organizations.  

By moving those two, the Pistons would also ensure McGrady a prominent starting role for the upcoming season.  Again, however, this would be a risk for Detroit in that McGrady's health is seemingly never guaranteed to hold up for the duration of an entire season.

But Is There Room?

While there are plenty of trade rumors surrounding Prince and Hamilton, there are also those saying the rumors are not true and that the veterans will not be moved just yet.

NBA.com reported this morning that Tayshaun Prince will not be traded this upcoming season unless he asks the organization to be dealt.

And regarding the Hamilton rumors, those talks are more than likely nothing more than speculation at this point.

Personally, I can't see Detroit giving up someone as productive as Hamilton, who has become a franchise player for the Pistons.

So if Hamilton and Prince remain Pistons, is there even room for McGrady?

McGrady is listed as a shooting guard, but can also play small forward if needed.  However, those are the two positions Detroit is deepest at.  Hamilton and Ben Gordon are the team's shooting guards, while Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye, and Dajuan Summers are the team's small forwards.

This brings McGrady right back to accepting a lesser role, unless Detroit is willing to bench one of their long time veterans and give a starting job to McGrady.  If anything I see them benching Prince and putting McGrady at small forward, because there is no way an aged star past his prime is going to play shooting guard over both Hamilton and Gordon.

In benching Prince, however, the Pistons would be giving up solid defense for McGrady's offense.  This would be contrary to how the Pistons have portrayed themselves as a defensive minded team.

As you can see, if the Pistons take on McGrady and decide to not move Hamilton and or Prince, things get very cluttered quickly.

The Verdict

Now it comes time to answer the question.  Can Tracy McGrady help the Detroit Pistons?

My answer is yes, and no.  But mostly no.

By bringing McGrady on board, the Pistons would be taking a gamble that the 31 year old star is finally healthy and ready to play a full season without being hampered by injuries.  If McGrady does in fact stay healthy, he would provide a much needed spark to the Pistons' offense.

Along with the obvious offensive benefit on the court, McGrady would also aid the team financially, even if only for a short while, in both ticket sales and merchandise sales.

However, there are a ton of uncertainties surrounding this move. The biggest of which is whether or not McGrady can stay healthy.  Also, are the Pistons willing to make room and trade Prince or Hamilton?  If they don't, where will McGrady play?  Who will be benched?  Are Joe Dumars and the Pistons willing to sacrifice defense for an offensive game that isn't even guaranteed?

If I were the Pistons, I would stay away from McGrady.  At 31 years old and long plagued by injuries, I don't think McGrady would be a significant enough addition to make them competitive in the east again.  Sure, he would add some offense and excitement, but in the end it just isn't worth it.

The Pistons would be better off sticking with what they have now, or trading either Prince or Hamilton for pieces to begin the rebuilding process.