Detroit Pistons' New Owner Checklist: Five Things the Team Must Address

It appears that the Detroit Pistons ownership situation is finally getting resolved, and while we have been close before, it seems like this time it could be real.

Several media sites are reporting that Los Angeles based financier Tom Gores has agreed to buy the Detroit Pistons and all of their satellites.

As I have stated before, Gores is the best option among those previously discussed. He has Michigan ties so he won't move the team, but he doesn't own any other teams so he won't divert cash away from the franchise.

Personally, I think he could be a less clownish version of Mark Cuban. He is young, energetic and successful. He likely will take this new team out for a drive.

For Pistons fans, the sale could not come soon enough.

This team has been rudderless, floundering in a sea of mediocrity. There was no clear direction and the only true directive that ownership laid down to their people was that they were not to take on new salaries.

To tie the hands of team president Joe Dumars in this manner is like promoting a general that can't see. Obviously there are problems, but with no way of addressing them, nothing will change.

Finally, the Pistons will have a new skipper and hopefully a new direction.

Some will argue that it will take some time for the new owner to get his feet wet and plot a new course of action. I mean, there are a lot of moving parts involved here between all of the personnel and facilities.

Personally, I see Gores hitting the ground running. The negotiations have taken way too long for him not to have an opinion on the direction of the team.

For Pistons fans, they had better hope this is the case.

Right now is a pivotal moment for the Pistons as the trade deadline is fast approaching.

Here are the first five things that Gores must address.

Decide Dumars Fate

For Dumars, the sale of the team has to be bittersweet: On the one hand, he no longer will have his hands tied; on the other hand, he may not have his job much longer.

As I have stated before, Dumars is likely on his way out. When a new owner comes in, they want to make their mark.

If Dumars stays, he will be a constant reminder of the past. While a lot of that was good, Dumars was directly responsible for all of it.

If Gores wants to make this his team, he will have to move on from Dumars.

The only question is when to do it.

Dumars is a classy individual and it is likely that Gores will give him the opportunity to serve out the season and resign with dignity.

Once this happens, look for Gores to name a quick replacement. My guess would be ex-Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard.

Settle The Rip Issue

The Pistons have looked terrible through the Richard Hamilton situation. They benched him without acknowledging the 500 pound gorilla in the room.

He deserved better.

But that's over with. What's done is done. Time to move on.

Gores needs to authorize Dumars to get whatever he can get for him. If that means trading him within the division for a bag of chips and a broken Nintendo controller, so be it.

Get him out of town.

The key will be avoiding a buyout for the maligned shooting guard, but it is time to deal Rip immediately.

My guess is that while the Lakers will nibble, Hamilton will likely end up in either Chicago, Utah or Dallas.

If he ends up in Chicago, it could make them a favorite in the East.

Figure Out Prince

Since we are moving on from Rip and Dumars, the next person on the list is Tayshaun Prince.

While Prince does represent the past much like the other guys, he is a lot easier to deal.

In fact, Prince is one of the Pistons biggest bargaining chip: He has an expiring deal, he is still in his prime and he has a lot of cachet around the league.

But before we figure out where to deal him, Gores has to decide if he wants to deal him.

In a lot of ways, Prince could be a good player to keep around. He is a proven winner, he is still a solid defender, and by all accounts he is a smart player. He could help usher in the next generation of Pistons.

That being said, he probably will ask for a big contract and Detroit won't want to pay the cash he will command.

Look for a contending team to offer up a package that will include at least one first rounder. My guess is that if the Lakers finally wake up from their Carmelo/Dwight Howard delusions, they will realize that Prince is the perfect fit.

Gores could elect for a cheap (not necessarily monetarily speaking) ploy for fans and take back Ron Artest in the deal. Regardless, this could happen.

Deal With Stuckey

It is safe to say that Rodney Stuckey is not going to happen, at least not like many thought. He still can't shoot, he can't play point guard and he does not have a lot of upside as such.

He does, however, have a cheap deal and a good reputation around the league. This allows the Pistons the luxury of choosing their suitor for the enigmatic guard.

Stuckey is a scorer, he has good size and he is a solid defender. He should be able to fetch a young point guard or at least a solid big man.

At the very least, he could bring back a draft pick.

Dumars is in love with Stuckey and is not likely to move on from the only piece remaining from the Darko debacle.

Gores doesn't have the same commitment to Stuckey, and he should look at this like the savvy business man he is and that means selling high.

I have no clue where Stuckey could end up, but look for teams to line up for his services.

Commit To The Future

One of the biggest problems I have had with this team has been the fact that they have not fully committed to the future.

Too often they have let the young players ride the pine while veterans that are past their prime pick up big minutes.

Gores must force his subordinates to play the young guys. Who cares if this season ends without a trip to the playoffs. 

This team isn't built to win anyways. Let the young guys play regardless of the mistakes they make.

The future of this team isn't Tracy McGrady and Ben Wallace; instead, let Greg Monroe, DaJuan Summers and Austin Daye get major minutes.

They have already given Monroe more minutes, and if they clear out the log jam at the shooting guard and small forward there should be enough minutes to go around.

Obviously, this means keeping coach John Kuester around, at least for this year. Kuester is not a good coach. In fact, he is kind of a terrible coach.

He does, however, know the game and he is by all accounts a good teacher, so he should be allowed to finish out the season and help develop the young guys.

Once the season is over, however, he should be toast. And the next coach of the Pistons should be Bill Laimbeer.

So there you go, Mr. Gores. You finally got through the negotiations and you have a brand new toy to play with.

But now the real work begins.