NBA Trade Speculation: 3 Reasons Detroit Pistons Need to Move Rip Hamilton

In taking a break from the daily speculation involving the NBA lockout (and the pointless career of Chris Broussard), we as fans can take a glimpse at our team's rosters, and the potential moves that are needed in order for our team to move forward.

No team in the league has a more obvious problem, and therefore needs to make a move, than the Detroit Pistons do with Richard Hamilton.

Hamilton has had a very productive and exciting career with Detroit. He has been their leading scorer nearly every season in uniform, he has hit countless clutch shots for the franchise, and he helped the team win their third NBA championship.

But over the past two seasons, he has seemingly worn out his welcome, and it is time for a change.

Here are the three biggest reasons why this will need to happen.

Clear Up the Log Jam

Over the last few seasons, the Pistons have made a number of moves. However, they continue to stockpile younger talent at the guard positions.

In all honesty, there really is not a true point guard on the roster. However, the team hopes that rookie guard Brandon Knight will develop into the lead guard that this team needs.

That leaves essentially two other full time positions at guard, a starting shooting guard and a sixth man.

More than anybody else on the roster, Rodney Stuckey seems poised for the former position, and Ben Gordon for the latter.

Stuckey has had a tumultuous tenure with Detroit, with the diagnosis on his position with the team fluctuating from sixth man to scoring guard to heir to Chauncey Billups's role as point guard and back to scoring guard.

We have seen glimpses of potential from Stuckey, but that mostly involves scoring. He has a strong upper body that enables him to guard bigger guards, and he has the quickness to get to the hoop. He can't, however, shoot from deep.

That being said, he does represent the best option of a scoring guard on the roster.

Gordon has thrived during his career as a sixth man, and surely fits that bill in Detroit. Besides, he has a very big contract that at this point would be nearly impossible to move.

This sets up a very unique and talented three guard rotation, and leaves Hamilton as the odd man out. He lacks the ball handling skills to pair with Gordon, he is not a reliable three point shooter, so he doesn't work well with Stuckey, and he is set in his ways, which is not a good fit with Knight (more on that later).

Besides, the Pistons can replace Hamilton's role as a veteran shooting guard with a number of different, less expensive (and more on that later) players.

Turn the Page on the Bad Times

Now listen, I loved what Hamilton did for Detroit. I spent a lot of enjoyable evenings watching him hit big shots.

But over the last three years, few players have been as big of a malcontent as Hamilton.

Starting with the trade of Billups, Hamilton has been sullen, moody, and down-right agitated.

He has been the face of a spoiled, laurel-resting and underachieving franchise. He is the face of a team that went from the hardest working group in basketball to the most self-obsessed and wimpy in a matter of years.

This team desperately needs a face-lift, and it starts with Hamilton.

Detroit's president, Joe Dumars, has had a front row seat to the carnage over the last few years, and he no doubt has been disgusted. As a result, he is reshaping this team in his image—hard working and intelligent.

That much is evident by this year's draft in that he shunned project players and those with questionable character traits for players with good heads on their shoulders and the reputation for hard work.

Hamilton does not fit in with this. Furthermore, for a team that is looking to get younger, Hamilton would be one of the last gray hairs left on a fairly sleek team, and one that is not needed.

Does Dumars really want to risk having Hamilton stew about his diminished role while he is trying to salvage his roster and such potentially important pieces as Austin Daye and Stuckey?

Not likely.

Furthermore, he will no doubt want to avoid Hamilton poisoning his newest stud, Brandon Knight.

Trim the Fat

Let's face it, Dumars has not been very wise with the Pistons' money over the past few years.

He brought in free agent busts Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. He extended Hamilton to a ridiculous deal. He missed the boat on dealing Tayshaun Prince for an expiring deal and a first round pick from Dallas.

Regardless, there are only so many mistakes Dumars can fix in one off season, and it starts with Hamilton's bloated deal.

The Pistons are on the hook for $12.7 million each of the next two years. For a team like Detroit, that is a lot. They are rebuilding, and Hamilton and his deal are not helping anyone.

However, his deal is not the worst in the league. In fact, he is only the 30th most expensive player in the league this year.

While that may seem like a ton, it really isn't, especially for a team that needs an offensive spark.

Hamilton has a great reputation as a scorer, and most people believe he will age like Reggie Miller, and be good for at least another five years.

At the very least, each day that passes makes Hamilton's deal look less bad, and a team could gamble on him now knowing that in a year he will have an expiring deal, which is gold in today's NBA.

Furthermore, Detroit would take next to nothing for him. Detroit is looking for bigs, and likely would be willing to pair Hamilton with someone else in order to take back a veteran big that may not have a ton left in the tank.

Regardless, there will certainly be takers for Hamilton, and the Pistons will need to get this move done as soon as possible in order to avoid further stunting their young team.