Detroit Pistons

About three years ago, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Boston Celtics were seeking to retool on the fly (while adding future flexibility) and offered Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to the Detroit Pistons for Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rodney Stuckey. At the time, our own Matt Watson called it a "lowball," and the comments of our readers basically agreed with the sentiment (seriously, the comments of that three year old thread are great, even if they're all "anonymous" after the migration to SBNation). Almost three years to the day, Boston is selling again. And once again, Woj is all over it. The individual pieces have changed by now, and Boston hasn't shown any interest in trading with Detroit. However, there might be very good reasons for both sides to pick up the phone and revisit those preliminary talks from three years ago. In case you haven't heard, Boston is in talks with the Los Angeles Clippers to send Kevin Garnett, with Coach Doc Rivers in two, and possibly Jason Terry or Courtney Lee in exchange for DeAndre Jordan, a first-round pick, and possbily Eric Bledsoe or Caron Butler. So what in the world does this have to do with Detroit? Reportedly, Boston is open to draft picks and financial flexibility. It just so happens Detroit has both. And we know that at one point, Danny Ainge coveted Rodney Stuckey and as part of a larger package was willing to part with Rajon Rondo to get him. Turns out Detroit still employs Stuckey and has a need for a long-term solution at point guard, and Boston employs Rajon Rondo. So, to Joe Dumars and Danny Ainge I say, let's chat. How it might go... Dumars: Danny, (I hope) you like Rodney Stuckey, and I know you could use a lottery pick. So let's start there. Rodney Stuckey (and his not fully guaranteed expiring contract) are yours for the taking. Since I'm asking for your starting PG - who also happens to be coming of a pretty serious injury, mind you - I'll offer this year's lottery pick, with which you can select any number of promising young point guards. Ainge: Joe, I do like Stuckey, and I like that draft pick, but here's the deal - I need to clear some long-term commitments so I can retool beyond just this year. So here's my counteroffer: take Courtney Lee and the $16 million he's owed through 14-15, and give me Brandon Knight to bolster the backcourt, and you've got a deal. Or, if he's not combo-guardy enough for you, I've also got Jason Terry for sale. Aside: there'd need to be some filler to make sure it works under the cap, but not much. Think Slava kind of filler. Lame attempt at entertainment aside, this kind of deal might make sense for both sides. On Detroit's side: Rondo is a quality player, and he's proven he can produce even without healthy All Stars surrounding him. But, he's not without risk given injuries, and he's owed a hefty sum. And he's a point guard. A real point guard who does point guardy things on offense and defense. Statistically, Courtney Lee isn't awful, and he plays SG, a roster hole that would need filling in a trade like this. But really, he ought to be viewed as the premium you have to be willing to pay for a player of Rondo's caliber. On Boston's side: a quality player should be available when the Pistons are on the clock at the NBA Draft, and Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight - despite their flaws - do possess value, could benefit from a change of scenery, quality coaching, and there are no long-term costs. All three pieces are young, have room to grow, and are relatively cheap. I can see two road blocks, one on each side. On Detroit's side: this draft isn't particularly strong, but there are rumblings that some of the better prospects might drop (think Trey Burke). If a player of Burke's caliber is available via the draft, it doesn't make much sense to part ways with that pick. To which I say, there's no reason a deal like this has to happen today. A draft-day trade might make perfect sense for both sides. Asid

May 3, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Los Angeles Clippers small forward Matt Barnes (22) and forward Blake Griffin (32) block shot by Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph (50) in game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at FedEx Forum. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports A Free Agent extravaganza is almost upon us. What are the Pistons options going forward? We can forget about Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. Likewise Josh Smith isn’t walking through that door! And here’s a compelling case against Andre Igoudala. Should the Pistons throw some money at Monta Ellis and pray for a miracle? Has anyone suggested that? The good news is Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva are probably not getting inked to incredibly generous multi-year deals. Just kidding Charlie, love you and your swell attitude and your expiring contract! Here’s a quick look at some feasible and cheap options that at worst are treading water tactics, and at best could pay huge dividends when Greg and Andre become the most feared Frontcourt in the league.

I've long taken for granted that the Pistons would jump at the chance to draft Trey Burke (SBN scouting report) if he's available at the No. 8 pick. As a Michigan grad, I'm extremely biased, but that's partially my point: in addition to Burke being rated the best point guard in the draft by most objective pundits, the fact that millions of fans within driving distance of the Palace already know his name (with at least half staunchly in his corner) gives him amazing box office appeal. (The ability to sell tickets shouldn't be the only factor when making a pick, but there's no reason it can't be a deciding factor -- especially for a team that ranked 28th out of 30 in attendance, and dead last by a huge margin in percent of capacity filled.) Apparently, though, folks like me are putting Joe Dumars in an uncomfortable position. From Bob Finnan of the News-Herald (from the same article that mentioned Detroit's would-be trade for Tristan Thompson): -- The Pistons will likely hope Michigan point guard Trey Burke (6-1 1/4, 187) won't be on the board when they use the No. 8 pick. There is intense pressure from the fan base for the Pistons to take the undersized Burke. They don't appear to be real high on him as a prospect. -- Most observers feel the Pistons will select a player to bolster their backcourt. However, don't be shocked if they take Indiana forward/center Cody Zeller. They are supposedly very high on the former Hoosiers standout. Joe Dumars made a mistake reaching for a hometown hero Mateen Cleaves with the No. 14 pick in 2000, but I hope fear of repeating that blunder isn't clouding his judgment here. Burke has his shortcomings (namely height, although he makes up for it with a 6-foot-5 reach) but he's a proven playmaker and a much, much better shooter than Michael Carter-Williams (SBN scouting report). (I'll abstain from piling on with talk of intangibles, but anyone who watched the NCAA Tournament can probably guess what I'd say.) If the Pistons are truly worried about Burke's size, I suppose passing on him for MCW might be defensible. (Not advisable, mind you, but defensible.) But holy hell, would Dumars actually pass on Burke for Zeller (DBB scouting report)? To quote DBB'er Thom not Tom Gores over email: Red-flagging Burke as too risky but loving Zeller despite his complete lack of positional fit or length sounds, well, exactly like the front office of the past couple years. I can't for the life of me understand what the plan would be if they actually took Zeller, but I can totally see Dumars pulling the trigger instead of making a similarly risky pick that actually takes fit and upside into account (*cough* Kentavious Caldwell-Pope *cough) I just ... I don't even ... whatever. This does sound like the most Joe Dumars move of all time. I guess time will tell. What do you think?

Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: Dumars’ contract expires after next season. The Pistons have an impatient owner who said the they ‘better’ make the playoff this season and refused to give Joe Dumars an immediate vote of confidence when they didn’t. Considering initial reports after Gores bought the team said Dumars had three years to prove himself, and then Dumars traded Ben Gordon just to get cap space a year early, the upcoming season really seems like a make-or-break year for Dumars. Of course, Dumars’ contract could always be extended or he could always be fired in the middle of it, but if Gores is looking to dump Dumars after this season, not renewing his contract could be an easy way to do it. There has been speculation Gores has trepidation about alienating fans by firing an all-time great in franchise history, and if that’s the case, he’s wrong to assume many fans would be outraged by Dumars being fired. But if Gores could say Dumars contract wasn’t renewed, that could be easier to spin that a firing and avoid a perceived problem.

Soon after the Pistons acquired Jose Calderon from the Raptors in a three-team trade that sent Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye to Memphis, Joe Dumars revealed that the Spanish point guard had been on his radar for some time. From the AP: "We've tried to acquire him several times from Toronto over the years," Dumars said. "We like him. This is someone that we'd have some interest in." Over the weekend, Bob Finnan of the News-Herald (Ohio) outlined one such attempt to acquire him, explaining how the Pistons nearly pulled off a trade during the 2011 draft that would have sent Ben Gordon and the Pistons' No. 8 pick to the Raptors in exchange for Calderon and the No. 5 pick. In 2011, most everyone in the league thought the Cavs were leaning toward Lithuanian center Valanciunas with the No. 4 pick. That included two teams behind the Cavs: Toronto at 5 and Detroit at 8. So much so, the teams had arranged a trade after they figured the 7-footer would go to the Cavs. A source said the Pistons were going to trade the eighth pick and guard Ben Gordon to the Raptors for Toronto's No. 5 pick and guard Jose Calderon. The Pistons were going to draft Tristan Thompson at 5, while Toronto would have taken Brandon Knight at 8. The trade was called off when the Cavs passed on Valanciunas and selected Thompson at 4. The Raptors jumped on the Lithuanian center with the next pick. Aw, man. That would have been fun. I'm not too bitter -- I like Andre Drummond's upside more so than Thompson's, and it seems unlikely the Pistons would have landed him the following year if they made this move. But still, this would have certainly made the Pistons a lot more fun to watch the last couple of years. It sounds plausible, too; I remember the Pistons being very high on Thompson -- which, considering I was still drinking the Bismack Biyombo Kool-Aid, I didn't quite understand. But here's a DBB post about him being Detroit's favored pick, complete with this money quote from CBS' Ken Berger: With top prospects in New York Thursday for media and service responsibilities, a person familiar with the draft discussions said the Pistons appear to have zeroed in on Texas small forward Tristan Thompson with the eighth pick. Thompson canceled other scheduled workouts after working out for the Pistons with five other players Wednesday. Do you have any regrets? Or are you happy content with how things turned out?

Joe Dumars is currently our GM and he has one year left on his contract. Maurice Cheeks is currently our head coach and he has 2 4 years left on his contract. Greg Monroe is currently our starting PF and he has 2 years left on his contract though he'll be a restricted free agent after this season. So ask yourself: How important is Greg Monroe in your plans of what the future Pistons should consist of? If you don't care whether he stays or goes, ok. But if you think he's vital, should you be afraid? Andre Iguodala is likely to opt out, if he hasn't already, of his contract. This will allow him to test the free agent market. He could go one of two ways: sign a deal worth more money (with Denver or elsewhere) or try to sign a cheaper deal with a contender (I heard somewhere that he doesn't want to be the #1 guy). The Denver Nuggets have given Iguodala a couple of things to also consider. They just lost/removed their GM (this year's Executive of the Year) and coach (this year's Coach of the Year). The team won 57 games and made it to the playoffs, which is highly encouraging. However, what direction are they likely to go in? That's not something you can fully be sure of without a GM and coach nor a new GM and coach. Greg Monroe could very well be in a similar situation in two years. I'm not sure if Monroe has the option to opt out of his contract, so for that reason I'm going on the assumption that this situation won't be an issue until after the 2014-15 season. Many people across the media believe that the Pistons have a very promising front court with the Monroe and Drummond tandem. The first one who will be available to test the free agent markets is Monroe after this coming season. Now let's say that there are teams that decide to offer Monroe a max (or very close to max) deal. In my personal opinion, I think the Pistons should match and call it a day. If it was Joe Dumars, you could almost guarantee that is exactly what will happen. But will he have that opportunity? Dumars' contract is up after this season and if things stay as they have the last four years, you can almost be certain Tom Gores will find someone to replace him. For all we know, that may be exactly what Phil Jackson was brought in here for. He was to assess the situation, quietly agree to Dumars' coaching hire (so it fails and makes Joe look even more incompetent), and then when things don't go so well, Joe leaves, Phil comes in and Brian Shaw becomes our new head coach (since he's still without a job). Now in that situation, Monroe may be likely to stay. But what if that doesn't happen? What if we have a very similar year that we did last year, Joe leaves, and some new blood comes in? Will the new GM keep Cheeks as the coach? Will Monroe feel comfortable with a new coach and new GM after having four consecutive losing seasons? To my knowledge, Monroe doesn't have to test the restricted free agent market, meaning the Pistons wouldn't have to match, meaning he'd only have one year left on his contract. I would love to see Monroe and Drummond play alongside each other until they retire as Pistons. I believe Monroe could work on his shot and become a little bit of a stretch 4 (and his passing is just as vital). I believe Drummond will develop his low post game and may even be able to move his shot out some (10-15 feet) so they both can work inside. Because of this, I fear that if this draft and free agent season does not produce what is needed (starting true point guard, capable 3 point shooters, and a go to wing) the Pistons could very likely lose Monroe in a few years. Many people want Dumars gone for some good reasons. Many people didn't want Cheeks to be hired. Many people would like to see a new GM and a better coach come in and replace them. But would you be willing to do that if it meant possibly losing Monroe? As always, would love your opinions. Also, I'm not advocating keeping Dumars or Cheeks (who hasn't had a ch

Just wanted to get an opinion from you guys on drafting Burke if he falls to us. Being a Michigan fan and watching Trey all year, I really saw no weaknesses in his game and couldn't imagine how sweet it would be seeing him running the point, throwing lobs to Drummond for years to come. Adding to that, if the pistons made a move like signing Kevin Martin to a 3 year, $22 million dollar deal and pulling off a deal for a legit SF like Danny Granger, this could be a second round team by next year if they got some solid bench production. Just wanted to get an opinion from you guys on drafting Burke if he falls to us. Being a Michigan fan and watching Trey all year, I really saw no weaknesses in his game and couldn't imagine how sweet it would be seeing him running the point, throwing lobs to Drummond for years to come. Adding to that, if the pistons made a move like signing Kevin Martin to a 3 year, $22 million dollar deal and pulling off a deal for a legit SF like Danny Granger, this could be a second round team by next year if they got some solid bench production.

If the Pistons pass on taking a point guard with their lottery pick, there’ll be no shortage of quality left on the board when they pick at 37 in round two, including South Dakota State’s Nate Wolters and Murray State’s Isaiah Canaan.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated: With Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, the Pistons frontcourt is set. Detroit took Brandon Knight at No. 8 in 2011 but Carter-Williams, arguably the best pure playmaker in the draft, could be too good to pass up. The Shaun Livingston comparisons are easy to make — how many 6-foot-6 point guards are there to compare him to? — but two executives said they liked Livingston’s potential coming into the draft better. Still, Carter-Williams has superior point-guard instincts and if he can harness his size and improve his jump shot, he could develop quickly. Mannix makes a very good point. Because we’ve seen so few tall point guards, Shaun Livingston is one of the few viable comparisons for Michael Carter-Williams, which means the comparison less likely to be accurate. Still, I think Mannix, like most, overrates Carter Williams’ playmaking ability. Carter-Williams played 40 games last year. Splitting those in half based on level of competition, as rated by KenPom, shows a pretty drastic difference in production. Toughest competition: 4.9 assists and 3.8 turnovers per game Easiest competition: 9.7 assists and 3.1 turnovers per game Obviously, nearly every player pads his stats against weaker teams to a degree, but this seems particular jarring. Is Carter-Williams really a high-level playmaker, or did he just cement that reputation during the easier, early portion of Syracuse’s schedule? A more rigorous analysis could provide clues to that question, but on the face of it, I wouldn’t assume Carter-Williams projects as a good distributor in the NBA. For comparison’s sake, here’s the same test applied to Trey Burke, who played against an overall tougher schedule: Toughest competition: 6.7 assists and 2.6 turnovers per game Easiest competition: 6.7 assists and 1.9 turnovers per game

Coaching introductions don’t come much more inauspicious than this. The Detroit Pistons have been flailing as a franchise since dealing away Chauncey Billups in 2008, and general manager Joe Dumars has been through five head coaches since that year. As