View Profile
View Forum Posts
Private Message
View Blog Entries
Visit Homepage
View Articles
THURSDAY, July 3
Preston (Muskegon): If we targeted someone or got Gilbert Arenas, for example, do you think sitting Prince and using him off the bench as a solid backup or situational defender would be something to consider? And do you think Joe Dumars would consider showing interest in Al Jefferson or Chris Kaman?
Langlois: The Pistons aren’t getting Arenas. They’re talking about at least $100 million over six years for him. Prince isn’t a backup. He’s an Olympian. If you’re going to bring in someone who’s clearly better than him at his position – not too many on that list – then it’s almost certain Prince would be involved in the trade to bring that person in. You can’t have someone making almost $10 million – more than 15 percent of the way toward exceeding the salary cap – playing as a “situational defender.” That’s what you use your veteran minimum salary slot for. Jefferson and Kaman? Not unless the Pistons are willing to send major pieces back.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris (Livonia, Mich.): I’m glad Walter Sharpe will be around Stuckey and Afflalo this summer. It should help in developing a solid work ethic and preparation habits.
Langlois: Don’t forget Amir Johnson and Cheikh Samb, too. Both of those young big guys are extremely hard workers. It’s going to be a very interesting Summer League this year with that many players involved who will be playing significant roles for their NBA team the following season. That’s unusual.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Justin (Milan, Mich.): Do you think trading D.J. White away was a good idea? The man was a beast at Indiana. I could only imagine what he could’ve done in Detroit.
Langlois: There’s no question Walter Sharpe has more of a boom-or-bust dynamic to him than White, who I think is going to be a solid NBA player for a long time. But the Pistons saw in Sharpe someone who has a chance to be a player who, in five years or so, we’ll look back on and say he should have gone in the top 10 or 15 picks in this draft. Plus, Joe Dumars said that as much as they liked White, they thought he came a little too close to duplicating when they already had in Jason Maxiell.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt (Windsor, Ontario): How much cap space do the Pistons have? What free agents could they try to sign?
Langlois: Forget cap space. The money the Pistons have to go shopping with this summer is the mid-level exception. That’s the amount of the average annual NBA salary, expected to be about $5.6 million or so. Joe Dumars has said he doubts he’ll spend all of that on one player, instead breaking it up over two free agents. It’s just guesswork at this point because agents have just begun to shop their clients around and usually the top-tier free agents will set the market by signing first. One name that I find intriguing is Golden State’s Mickael Pietrus. The Warriors have lots of irons in the fire – Baron Davis just bolted for the Clippers and Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins are restricted free agents – and they might have to wait for other dominos to fall before getting around to Pietrus, which could allow someone else to sneak in and steal him away.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evan (Howell, Mich.): Elton Brand and Corey Maggette both opted out. We need to complete a sign-and-trade and come away with at least one of them. I would say just sign them, but apparently we don’t have enough money – though I’m not buying that.
Langlois: Whether you buy it or not, Evan, it’s undeniable. Brand opted out of a contract that was due to pay him $16.4 million next year. For the sake of argument, let’s say he would agree to a multiyear contract that starts at $15 million a year. The Pistons were roughly $10 million over the cap last season – just a hair below the luxury-tax line. They have about $60 million committed to 10 players next season. To sign Brand, they’d have to be $15 million below the salary cap – which means they’d have to find someone willing to take one of their four core veterans off their hands without taking any salary back in return. That’s virtually impossible to do, never mind nutty. To clarify: In order to sign Elton Brand, the Pistons would have to get their payroll down to about $40 million. Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince combined will make about $45 million next season. Not happening.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T.J. (Rochester Hills, Mich.): Any chance of the Pistons making an offer for Nenad Krstic? He is a restricted free agent, but with his injury and a frontcourt logjam in New Jersey, the Nets could opt not to match. He’s still only 24, 7 feet tall, skilled and a proven producer before his injury.
Langlois: At some price, Krstic is a good risk, T.J. I’m just not sure the Pistons would make the most sense for Krstic. If you think New Jersey’s frontcourt is crowded, take a look at Detroit’s. Even though McDyess and Wallace are getting up there, I’m not sure how the Pistons could absorb the type of salary Krstic will command unless they do it as part of a sign-and-trade. Could the Nets be tempted to take on Wallace or McDyess as part of a sign-and-trade for Krstic? Sure, because both have contracts that will be off the books in time for the Summer of LeBron in 2010. But the Pistons would have to be awfully convinced that Krstic was sound physically. He wasn’t nearly the same player this year as before hurting his knee midway through the 2006-07 season.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryan (Grand Rapids, Mich.): Can the Clippers use the money they owed Brand to sign another free agent like Davis or Arenas and then sign Brand using their Bird rights?
Langlois: Sure. The Clippers can go over the salary cap to sign Brand, but not to sign another team’s free agents. From what I can figure out, it looks like the Clippers have about $30 million committed to next season’s payroll without Brand and Corey Maggette and Shaun Livingston on the books. They’re getting Davis at a reasonable price – five years and $65 million, meaning he’ll start at about $10 million. They’d have to start Brand higher than that, but it looks as if they’re prepared to do that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jason (Jamestown, N.D.): I’m pleased Joe Dumars got Walter Sharpe. I think the whole league will be surprised. I think he’ll be able to crack the rotation and hopefully save some cap room by not having to go out and get a good forward.
Langlois: Sharpe would have to show something pretty special in Las Vegas for the Pistons to not pursue a veteran capable of handling backup minutes at small forward, in my opinion. But maybe the Pistons think they could get by for a good chunk of the season with some combination of Sharpe and Arron Afflalo behind Prince. There’s also Alex Acker in the mix at guard, which could free Afflalo up for more minutes at Prince’s position, and Walter Herrmann remains a possibility if he doesn’t sign in Europe.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John (Chicago): I recently read that Allen Iverson was offered during Denver-Detroit talks but Dumars turned that idea down. I know people have mixed feelings about him, but I don’t think anybody can question his toughness or ability. Don’t you think in the right situation he could bring the same intensity and hunger for a championship that Garnett brought to the Celtics?
Langlois: If you were talking about getting the Allen Iverson of five years ago, maybe. I would be leery of taking him on at this stage of his career at the kind of money he commands – $22 million next year. To get him in trade, you’d have to give up two of your core pieces, and that’s not an equitable deal for the Pistons. If the Pistons could get him for what Garnett cost Boston – essentially, one nice young prospect (and, no, I would not include Rodney Stuckey in any deal for Iverson at this point), a future first-rounder and some spare parts – then, sure. But not for two virtual All-Stars.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronny (Royal Oak, Mich.): Why not sign Andris Biedrins from Golden State? He averaged almost 11 points and 10 rebounds a game.
Langlois: He’s a restricted free agent and even though the Warriors have a lot of business on their hands, I can’t imagine them not doing what it takes to keep an athletic young big man.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James (Plano, Texas): Ever since he was drafted, I’ve been intrigued by Charlie Villanueva. We can probably get him pretty cheap. I think a second-round pick could lure him in.
Langlois: A lot of people are skeptical of Villanueva’s long-term future and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if John Hammond was shopping him, although last week’s trade of Yi Jianlian to New Jersey for Richard Jefferson makes Villanueva the presumptive starter at power forward for the Bucks. But if Joe Dumars got him for a second-rounder, the NBA would surely think he and his former VP, Hammond, were in cahoots.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kyle (St. Joseph, Mich.): Do you know if Antonio McDyess is coming back next year?
Langlois: No reason to think he isn’t.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abdul (Kingman, Ariz.): When do you think the Pistons will update Amir’s height if he is really taller than 6-9?
Langlois: I’ll refer you to Mailbag FAQ, Abdul.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gil (Charlotte, N.C.): Now that the sting is off from losing to the Celtics, I look at the Pistons and see a really, really good team. Michael Curry is adamant about changing the team’s approach and there is so much talent up and down the roster, I was wondering if just some tinkering is needed. What’s your gut instinct? Who are some players on the Pistons’ radar?
Langlois: Whoever Joe Dumars has on his radar, he’s keeping that to himself. There’s no benefit, but potential harm, for Dumars in making known his pecking order of off-season trade targets. As for standing pat and putting faith in Michael Curry’s ability to get something out of players that Flip Saunders didn’t, it’s an option but it’s not the preference, as Joe Dumars told me in a Q&A I did with him in June.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chad (Clinton Twp., Mich.): It sounds to me like the Nets are trying to start their whole franchise over, so why not trade Rasheed Wallace for Vince Carter. Rasheed’s expiring contract will put the Nets in the running for LeBron James. Then the Pistons could trade Tayshaun Prince for Udonis Haslem and Marcus Banks. Then our starting five would be Chauncey, Rip, Vince, Udonis and McDyess. What do you think?
Langlois: That’s a really undersized team that, in my view, takes the Pistons about three big steps backward.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sam (St. Louis, Mo.): You mentioned Alex Acker has a chance to fight for a spot on the Pistons. Did you see anything beyond his subpar season at Barcelona? Also, he was asked to compare the European and NBA games and said Europe is more physical. Do you agree?
Langlois: I haven’t seen Acker since he left the NBA, but the Pistons wouldn’t be inviting him to Las Vegas unless they thought he had a chance to stick. They drafted him and liked what they saw in him during his rookie season and encouraged him to try Europe for seasoning. Now they’re going to get a firsthand look at how many strides he’s taken since then. Yes, people who have seen both leagues say the Euroleague is more physical since the NBA cracked down within the last three years.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris (Dallas): Thanks for keeping migrant Michiganders so well-informed of Pistons goings on. Looking forward to hearing from you about the Summer League games. Do you know if they will be televised on viewable on-line?
Langlois: Two of the Pistons’ five games in Las Vegas will be telecast by NBA-TV, Chris – the July 11 opener (8 p.m. EDT) vs. the Lakers and the July 17 (4 p.m. EDT) game with Dallas. Every other game from Las Vegas should be available via webcam on NBA.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryan (Owatonna, Minn.): Do you think that Baron for Rasheed and Chauncey would really be an upgrade?
Langlois: Not a chance, Ryan. Look, Baron Davis is an incredible talent, but you don’t get him at his best anywhere close to all the time. Most GMs, I’m guessing, would prefer the constancy and stability Chauncey Billups provides. Even if you thought Davis was good value for Billups, would you really want to throw Wallace in to boot? Last week’s reports that the Pistons had discussed Billups and Wallace for Davis and Al Harrington have been widely debunked. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Golden State made a play for Billups now that Davis has left them in the lurch. The question is, what do the Warriors have left the Pistons really want? Al Harrington would be a nice piece, but you’ve got to get more than Harrington for Billups.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin (Royal Oak, Mich.): Here’s one for Michael Curry’s suggestion box. Start Chauncey and Stuckey in the backcourt, move Rip to the three and make Tayshaun the sixth man. Depending on matchups, Prince could play the one, two or three spots and perhaps he would be more aggressive offensively coming off the bench.
Langlois: Stuckey’s postseason play has him in line to get similar minutes to the big three perimeter players next season. Bringing Prince off the bench as opposed to one of the other three doesn’t strike me as a great plan. There are a lot of small forwards in the league that Hamilton can guard, but I wouldn’t want to give him a steady diet of players bigger and stronger than him for fear of exposing him to injury or fatigue. The more prudent option would be to find a really good option to Prince at small forward, someone who gives the Pistons defensive versatility. Who knows? That could wind up being Arron Afflalo.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter (Lafayette, La.): As a die-hard Pistons fan, should I not be concerned that I don’t hear Detroit involved in the free-agent market?
Langlois: What, you think Joe Dumars went on vacation? Trust me, he’s working the phones as aggressively as any of his peers and more than most. Just because it’s not finding its way into the papers and on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Some teams are better at controlling leaks than others.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul (Belleville, Mich.): Say Philadelphia signs Josh Smith as a restricted free agent, leaving Atlanta 10 days to match. The contract might be too steep for Atlanta, but they don’t want to lose Smith and get nothing in return. Can they match the offer and then turn around and trade him to another team, getting value in return?
Langlois: No. If you match an offer to keep a restricted free agent, you can’t trade that player for a year unless the player consents to a trade – but he can’t be traded to the team that signed him to the offer sheet. So if Smith signs with Philly and Atlanta matches, he can’t be traded to Philly under any circumstances.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kris (Kalamazoo, Mich.): Would the Pistons be in a financial position to address needs for a suitable backup behind Prince and an interior shot-blocking, rebounding presence? Somebody like Mickael Pietrus, Devean George or James Jones for the wing and DeSagana Diop for the middle?
Langlois: Diop sounds like he’s going to get the full mid-level exception or close to it from somebody, which tells you about the quality of the market for big men. So, no, the MLE isn’t going to satisfy both of your perceived needs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen (Atlanta): Has Lindsey Hunter decided if he is going to retire? I would love to see him play one more season. Also, what are the chances of Antonio McDyess and Tayshaun Prince returning? They are my favorite players.
Langlois: No word yet on Hunter. My hunch is he’s leaning toward one more year. I would expect to see McDyess back. If Joe D can follow through on his intention to shake up the roster a little, then Prince figures to be one of the more likely to be in the trade mix because he’s a guy a lot of teams would like to have.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks