Clearing Out a Log Jam: Five Teams That Could Help the Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are in trouble. This much is not up for debate. As currently constructed, this team can not win.
It may be hard for them to even compete given their glut of wing players and lack of talent at the big positions.
As has been reported by many outlets (this writer included), the upcoming season is looking bleak for Pistons fans. But enough with the negativity.
This is a proud franchise with even prouder fans, and if they can get excited about an upcoming Detroit Lions season, they absolutely can get fired up about a Pistons season.
There is one major caveat, however; team president Joe Dumars must make a significant deal before the season begins.
He knows it, the team knows it and most importantly, you know it. After all, you are paying the player's salaries and the team needs you to buy season tickets and over-priced Miller Lite (no offense to Miller Lite and their outstanding product, but no beer is worth $8 a pint).
So who gets dealt? Dumars is on record as saying he has no intention of trading small forward Tayshaun Prince. Guards Ben Gordon and Rodney Stuckey are likely safe, although I would definitely trade Stuckey if the right deal came around. Tracy McGrady obviously just signed so he won't be dealt and the same goes for Will Bynum.
That leaves the masked man himself.
That's right Rip Hamilton, it appears you may be the odd man out.
Now if Hamilton is indeed the guy that Dumars is looking at dealing (and I don't recall hearing the Pistons front man declare Rip untouchable lately), many hurdles will be in the way.
Rip is far from a spring chicken; when the season closes, he will be 33 years old. However, teams that scout the talented shooting guard will know that he has an engine that keeps on chugging along, even deep into games and late in the season. Hamilton owes this to his excellent diet and conditioning. As a result, many NBA people compare him to long time Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller, and Miller played until he was 80 (actually 40, but it felt a lot longer).
The second and possibly more important obstacle to trading Hamilton is his contract. Dumars un-wisely signed Hamilton to a big extension after the team dealt his best friend Chauncey Billups two seasons ago as a showing of good faith.
Looking back, Dumars likely should have avoided this move, but he has been bashed enough about this (especially by this writer) and the Pistons need to move forward.
The Hamilton extension runs through the 2012/13 season netting the guard a tidy $12.6 million each year.
However, this too is an obstacle that can be traversed. This off season buying bonanza was a ridiculous spectacle, and as a result Hamilton's contract no longer looks untradeable. Not ideal, of course, but not a team wrecker.
Take a look at other similar players and what they are making. Jason Richardson is making $14.4 million and although he is more athletic and younger, he is definitely not as good of a shooter.
Similarly Michael Redd is talented, but is he worth $6 million more per year than Hamilton? With a bum leg, probably not.
Vince Carter still can score in bunches, but is he worth $17.3 million? Have you ever seen him hit a big shot in the NBA Finals?
The most ridiculous deal this off season was unquestionably the max deal that Joe Johnson received from Atlanta. While Johnson is obviously a talented player, would you take him over Hamilton in a big playoff game? Last year may have been a fluke, but Johnson looked very average in the clutch in the playoffs and he will make $16.3 million this year.
If this off season has taught us anything, it is that not all NBA general managers are very bright. How else do you explain the New Orleans Hornets dealing a potential star point guard in Darren Collison for a very over rated Trevor Ariza? Especially considering the fact that Chris Paul likely will be leaving in two years anyways, and Collison makes a combined $8.5 million over the next handful of years.
Basically, Dumars needs to stumble into the perfect scenario in which a team is a veteran shooting guard away from contention.
Here are just a few of those scenarios.
Utah Jazz
1 of 5
The Utah Jazz are a team that have been speculated could be involved in a deal for Hamilton for years.The players involved have changed from Carlos Boozer, to Memo Okur to countless others, but they still remain a shooting guard away from the big time.
Hamilton seems to fit perfectly within coach Jerry Sloan's system. Much like mid range specialists Jeff Hornacek and Jeff Malone before him, Hamilton would give Sloan another weapon to free up his post players and another target for point guard Deron Williams to utilize.
Williams is the perfect compliment for Hamilton. He is basically a younger and faster version of Billups, and we all know how well that worked out.
The obvious choice for the Pistons to claim in a deal with Utah would be forward Paul Millsap. While Millsap makes half as much as Rip, Detroit could take one on the chin and take Andrei Kirilenko in the deal and his expiring massive contract. To make this work, they could then throw in Jason Maxiell, which would allow the Jazz to keep their front court depth intact.
Millsap would bring the Pistons excellent toughness and rebounding despite his somewhat small-ish height (6'8"). Basically, Millsap is a bigger, better version of Maxiell.
And before you say that the Jazz are in love with Millsap and would never part with him, remember this-they were so confident in his ability to assume Boozer's role as starting power forward that they just dealt for Al Jefferson. Trust me, Millsap can be had.
Oklahoma City Thunder
2 of 5
The Oklahoma City Thunder were a great story last year. In the first round, they gave the defending champion Lakers a scare, pushing the eventual champs to a seventh game.
They are talented, young and hungry and their star small forward is possibly the best in the game.
But they are trotting out Thabo Sefalosha as their shooting guard. While Sefalosha is a solid defender, he basically allows opponents the luxury of not having to play defense on him.
If the Thunder really want to take the next step, they will need to get more offensive help for Durant. Hamilton would provide just that type of help. Furthermore, Hamilton's veteran leadership and championship pedigree would help this young team find their niche.
If Detroit dealt Hamilton to the Thunder, they likely would not be getting immediate help. A package could include talented big man Nenad Kristic, project big man B.J. Mullens, the expiring deal of Morris Peterson and perhaps a draft pick. Dumars could try to pry Serge Ibaka from the Thunder, but that might be a tough sell.
This deal would give Detroit a talented and still young big man and salary room; if they decided they didn't like Kristic, his salary expires anyways so it wouldn't be a big deal.
Denver Nuggets
3 of 5
Speaking of players that would compliment Hamilton, why not his former teammate Chauncey Billups?
As of right now, the Nuggets are starting former Piston Aron Afllalo at shooting guard and backing him up with J.R. Smith. Not exactly world beaters.
Detroit could potentially try to either pry Nene away for Hamilton, or they could package Hamilton with another player for Kenyon Martin and Ty Lawson if Denver is feeling overly generous (hey, stranger things have happened, look at New Orleans!).
The major stumbling block in Denver these days is the happiness (or lack thereof) of Carmelo Anthony. Most people believe that Anthony will be dealt before the season ends, thus reducing the likelihood that Denver would want to add another veteran player with a big deal.
However, Denver could decide to just make a go of it this year and try one last time to win it all with Anthony. If they do, they could add Hamilton and make a nice effort.
There are a lot of "ifs" in this equation, but perhaps the Pistons could become a player in this situation.
San Antonio Spurs
4 of 5
The San Antonio Spurs are at the end of a great run with Tim Duncan. Obviously Duncan could potentially stick around and play at a high level for the next few years, but likely they are reaching the end of their title seeking days with their big man.
But this does leave one last year or two for them to make a go of it, and they owe it to their fans and their big man to make one last solid effort.
That is why a deal for Hamilton would work out well for them. Hamilton would fit in nicely in Gregg Popovich's system, running around Antonio McDyess and Duncan screens and spotting up for point guard George Hill.
Notice I didn't say Tony Parker. That's because in this deal, Parker likely would be heading to Detroit.
Parker has an expiring deal and would immediately make Detroit better at the point. Perhaps Dumars could talk him into an extension, but otherwise the key to this would be the other pieces involved, namely Dajuan Blair or Tiago Splitter.
Both would add toughness and size to the Pistons, although Blair is more in the mold of Maxiell size-wise. However, he has shown a tremendous rebounding ability and this deal would clear up salary space for next year if Parker doesn't re-up.
Chicago Bulls
5 of 5
Now this is the least likely scenario, and basically the stars would have to align for it to happen, but it could.
First off, Dumars will not want to help a division rival, and dealing Hamilton to the Bulls certainly would help them. Hamilton's leadership, savvy and scoring ability would immediately cement the Bulls as a contender.
There are two stumbling blocks to this. First, there would have to be a third team involved as there is no way the salaries would match up unless Detroit took back Luol Deng, and his contract is worse than Hamilton's.
The second is whether or not the Bulls would agree to deal one of their talented young big men, namely Taj Gibson.
A deal for Gibson would drastically improve the Pistons front court. Along with rookie Greg Monroe, the Pistons would have a very talented and young team.
The key to this is what else they would have to give up or take back. Perhaps Dallas would want to get involved and take back Deng and clear themselves of Tyson Chandler. Or maybe Portland would chip in with Andre Miller or their unhappy camper Rudy Fernandez?
Regardless, this definitely is a long shot, but a possible trading partner.
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