Detroit Pistons

Chad Ford of ESPN just released his latest mock draft, and you might like his choice for the Pistons: Trey Burke. The Pistons are hoping, for a third year in a row, that one of the top seven players on the board slides to them on draft night. However, it the draft holds true to form, look for them to try to address their backcourt at No. 8. The team thinks Brandon Knight is more suited to play the two and would like to bring in a "pure" point guard to run the team. While Burke is a little undersized, he’s highly skilled as both a shooter and a penetrator and has great leadership capabilities. McCollum and Zeller also are possibilities here, especially if both Burke and Carter-Williams are off the board. Yes, a thousand times yes. I still don’t think Burke will be available at No. 8, and this part of the mock draft could change several times before the actual draft, but Ford reveals a couple hopeful tidbits. Ford on the Pelicans, who have the No. 6 pick: They like Trey Burke and Carter-Williams, but sources continue to say that they think Austin Rivers can still make the transition to point guard. Ford on the Kings, who have the No. 7 pick: Sounds like Trey Burke isn’t particularly high on their list This is the time for smokescreens, and maybe the Pelicans and Kings really do like Burke. But if they don’t, he could easily slip. The Magic (No. 2) want a point guard, but they’re probably picking too high for Burke. The Wizards (No. 3) have John Wall. The Bobcats (No. 4) have Kemba Walker. And the Suns (No. 5) have Goran Dragic. Burke seems like the most likely top prospects to fall to the Pistons, and I’d be absolutely ecstatic if he does.

Things had been looking grim for the Pistons ever since the NBA Draft Lottery when Detroit slid to the eighth spot in what was increasingly looking like a five-player draft. But if there is one thing you can count on in the NBA, it is that general managers fall in love with tantalizing prospects of size (Andre Drummond, bizarrely, notwithstanding). And true enough the latest mock draft from ESPN's well-connected Chad Ford has a trio of big men (and one extremely tall point guard) being selected in the first seven picks. That leaves the small in stature but not in production Trey Burke from the University of Michigan. While recent reports indicate that Detroit might not be too enamored with Burke, Ford has Detroit selecting Burke as its latest PGOTF (Point Guard Of The Future). Burke is available because Ford has the Cleveland Cavaliers selecting Nerlens Noel at No. 1, the Charlotte Bobcats selecting Anthony Bennett at No. 4, the New Orleans Pelicans selecting Alex Len at No. 6 and the Sacramento Kings selecting Michael Carter-Williams at No 7. The article is ESPN Insider, but I'll pull out his comment about the Pistons: Analysis: The Pistons are hoping, for a third year in a row, that one of the top seven players on the board slides to them on draft night. However, it the draft holds true to form, look for them to try to address their backcourt at No. 8. The team thinks Brandon Knight is more suited to play the two and would like to bring in a "pure" point guard to run the team. While Burke is a little undersized, he's highly skilled as both a shooter and a penetrator and has great leadership capabilities. McCollum and Zeller also are possibilities here, especially if both Burke and Carter-Williams are off the board. While I continue to be somewhat surprised that nobody ever links Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Detroit (I'm a fan), having a choice between Burke, C.J. McCollum and Cody Zeller isn't all that bad. And I'm especially happy about whose names aren't mentioned -- Shabazz Muhammad, Anthony Bennett.

With both Jose Calderon and Will Bynum pending free agents, it stands to reason Joe Dumars will solicit the opinion of Maurice Cheeks if the Pistons address point guard in the draft, Keith Langlois writes for True Blue Pistons.

For the first time in several years, the Detroit Pistons have a heap of cash to work with.They enter the offseason with somewhere between $20-$25 million in salary cap space.And while most teams' fans would be excited at this prospect, the Pistons

Ukrainian big man is a good shot blocker and scorer inside but there are concerns about his health after undergoing offseason ankle surgery.

With both Jose Calderon and Will Bynum pending free agents, it stands to reason Joe Dumars will solicit the opinion of Maurice Cheeks if the Pistons address point guard in the draft, Keith Langlois writes for True Blue 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.