Pistons' trade of Billups for Iverson hits a snag
by A. Sherrod Blakely
Monday November 03, 2008, 11:09 AM
The tentative trade between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets may have hit a snag.
While the key players in the trade remain Pistons guard Chauncey Billups and top reserve Antonio McDyess for Denver's Allen Iverson, McDyess' reluctance to be included in the deal may become an issue.
"Dice is not happy at all (about the possible trade)," said Andy Miller, who is the agent for both Billups and McDyess.
Miller said the 34-year-old McDyess is considering several options, including retirement.
Billups, however, isn't as torn about the trade.
That makes sense considering Billups is a Denver native, and by most accounts is considered one of the greatest prep players to ever come out of Denver.
"From Chauncey's point of view, its kind of a mixed bag of feelings," Miller said. "He feels very good about what he's done in Detroit, the legacy he has left. And coming back home to Denver, it's sort of like coming full circle for him."
For Detroit, the trade has several ramifications now as well as for the franchise's future.
By trading away Billups and McDyess for Iverson, the Pistons would shave about $34 million off their books in salary over the next three seasons. Billups makes $11.05 million this season and has another three years remaining on his contract, while McDyess will make about $6.8 million and he has another year after this season. Iverson is in the last year of his deal which pays $20.84 million this season.
The trade also provides Detroit with a dynamic player who has been among the league's top players for more than a decade, and will surely help get a few more warm bodies in The Palace.
But you have to wonder, just how much does Iverson still have left?
The Pistons are banking on enough to get them back to the NBA Finals.
Detroit coach Michael Curry did not address the potential trade following the team's morning shoot-around, which included the media session being pushed back an hour.
"I don't comment on trades," Curry said.
When asked where Billups and McDyess were this morning - neither was at the team's morning shoot-around - Curry said they had an excused absence.
"They were excused from practice," said Curry, who tried to get the conversation more geared on talking about Detroit's opponent tonight, Charlotte. "What we got going on? Let's (talk about) Charlotte. Those are my two responses. No comment about anything with a trade, and Dice and Chauncey were excused from practice this morning."
I asked him whether he anticipated them in the lineup tonight.
"Yeah, unless I hear otherwise," said Curry, who added that both players did travel with the team to Charlotte.
Rasheed Wallace had heard about the possible trade, but added he didn't know for sure if it was a done deal or not.
"We'll see how it plays out," said Wallace, who reiterated that he did not know for sure if the deal was done or not. "I can't really count on it too much. That's not a Guaransheed right there, so I can't count on it too much."
Through two games, the 32-year-old Billups is averaging 12.5 points and 7.5 assists (14.8 points and 5.5 assists for his career), while the 33-year-old Iverson, is averaging 18.7 points and 6.7 assists through three games (27.7 and 6.3 for his career).
McDyess, 34, has come off the bench to average 7 points and 4 rebounds in a pair of games.
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