Detroit / Houston

[micknugget]

I am proposing this trade ONLY at the trade deadline if no other big deals (Amare, Bosh, etc.) become available.

Detroit trades:
Prince
Rip

Detroit gets:
T-Mac
Filler
2010 1st

I know that T-Mac is always hurt but he's a 20+ mil expiring. He is good enough to get butts in the seats and I feel that having his expiring along with Kwame's 4 mil that Joe could again be a big player next off-season. With that much cap we make a run at a superstar and at a minimum pick up a couple younger studs and depending on the lottery, use the extra 1st to move up in the draft your star big man.

[Zekyl]

Actually, that's an interesting thought. I'm not sure if I would do it or not. McGrady could start at SF with Gordon starting at SG. I wouldn't be counting on him to carry the team by any means, as that would be a move for next season, not this season. We had better get some solid filler from them to give them Prince AND Rip for a pick and cap space. I'd want to be damn sure I had a shot at luring a guy like Bosh and a replacement SF to the Pistons in the offseason before making that move. If we did that and got Bosh and an average SF, I'd be ecstatic. The SF wouldn't be quite as important because hopefully Daye and Summers would be starting to earn more minutes.

Stuckey
Gordon
Avg. SG
Villanueva
Bosh

Plus an extra first? I'm okay with that.

The question is, with a roster of Stuckey, Gordon, Villanueva, and bench fodder, are we luring Bosh or Amare? Or are we going to have to hope for a trade to get that all-important improvement at C?

[BIG BEN'S FRO]

This is going to sound weird, but assuming TMac is healthy right now, I do that trade immediately. The pick would have to be top 3 protected at most since Houston is going to suck next year. We would get our chance at a C in the draft next season, have cap room, and have a chance to continue being mediocre this year. Stuck, BG, TMac, CV, and Wilcox with (assuming we suck) two lotto picks and a lot of cap space next season. I could roll with that.

If this ever did happen, we should consider getting a good cheap SG who can play well in spot minutes and be a pretty good defender... like Arron Afflalo.

[WTFchris]

Why would Houston do that deal? They'd have Prince, RIP, Ariza and Battier on long term sizable deals (with Buddinger and Wafer for depth). If they move TMac and lose that expiring deal they'll want a post player.

[Glenn]

David (River Rouge, Mich.): If the Pistons fall out of the playoff picture like everyone is saying, do you see Joe D making a trade before the trade deadline? If so, don’t you think T-Mac would be a good fit? He is the highest-paid player this year and it’s the last year of his contract.

Langlois: Loaded questions, David. First, “everyone” isn’t saying the Pistons are likely to fall out of the playoff picture. There’s not the certainty that they’ll make the field as there has been for the last six or seven years, but they’re certainly in the mix with a handful of other teams for what appears to be four of the eight Eastern Conference playoff berths. As for Tracy McGrady, Houston has a valuable bargaining chip in his expiring deal. They can hang on to it, see his salary come off the cap next July and then go heavily after someone like Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire. So if you’re going to tempt them to trade that contract – and lose their chance to be a major player in next summer’s free agency – you’re going to have to give them a player of real value. The Pistons would have to combine two of their three largest salaries – they belong to Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Gordon – in order for a McGrady deal to work, in all likelihood. I don’t see a fit with the Pistons.

[Joe Asberry]

Tmac to Detroit
RIP to Houston
Boozer to Houston
Prince to Utah


Utah wanted Prince, maybe we can get a pick from them for Prince too...
Tmac huge expiring ofc
Houston gets RIP & Boozer, if Yao comes back in March or so they could have a very strong team Yao/Boozer/Scola/Ariza/Battier/RIP/Brooks...

[Glenn]

I like the concept, but I would like it more if TMac was able to play and play well.

I doubt that the Pistons write the season off by trading two popular players for a broken guy with a big contract. How do you sell that?

[Fool]

Last time, they hired a terrible coach right before they made the trade.

[MoTown]

I doubt that the Pistons write the season off by trading two popular players for a broken guy with a big contract. How do you sell that?

If at first you don't succeed, try again?

[MoTown]

We're four games into the season, btw. So doing that trade RIGHT NOW would bring on a ton of deja vu.