Detroit has some free agents on it's current roster that can be flipped for future assets. The decision about whether to pursue resigning them has to happen before the trade deadline, otherwise their value will drift to nothing on the lottery bound Pistons. Here's a brief look at the four '11 free agents on the Pistons and some ideas on how Joe Dumars should proceed.
1) Tayshaun Prince - unrestricted - $11.1M expiring:
It's possible Joe Dumars wants Tayshaun to be a Piston for life. I'm OK with that, Tay is a brilliant player who helps direct traffic on offense and defense for all 5 positions. He's got a ring, a gold medal, and a zillion consecutive game streak in his record book and I think he's worth resigning. I'm also OK with flipping him for an asset and making him a Piston for almost life and resigning him next season if that's possible. Ben Wallace doesn't seem to have lost any love by his detour to Chicago and Cleveland. Swapping Tay for Caron Butler and a pick wouldn't be a bad deal.
More on the flip...
2) Tracy McGrady - unrestricted - $.85M expiring: You have to flip him to a contender for an asset. You can probably get a good young player under a rookie deal that isn't getting burn by trading him to a playoff club. Keeping him is insane. I'm a big McGrady fan for his entire career and if you want to make a run at him as a '11 FA, great, but you have to juice this orange while it's ripe. T-Mac to Miami for Dexter Pittman and a second round pick?
3) Chris Wilcox - unrestricted - $3M expiring: It looked like nobody would want Wilcox but he may be playing himself into asset status with his recent run. I'm not sure you can get a lot for him but a playoff team that lacks depth might want him. Maybe a three-way deal that sends him to the Heat?
4) Rodney Stuckey - restricted - $2.8 (est. '11 salary - ???): This is the hard one. If Dumars believes Stuckey to be a future core player on championship, you keep him. If you don't, you move him this year to a team that wants depth. Stuckey looks like one of the Pistons best players in all the statistical models but I just don't think he that great a basketball player. He reminds me a little of Richard Jefferson in that he can do almost everything, but he doesn't seem to have the instincts to do it when it counts. Jefferson has been great this year for the Spurs but that doesn't erase a huge chunk of overpaid mediocrity. I don't want to buy a huge chunk of overpaid mediocrity. Trade him.
What do you think?
Poll
Which Detroit free agent do you want to see traded?
All of them (31 votes)
Tayshaun Prince (17 votes)
Tracy McGrady (15 votes)
Rodney Stuckey (22 votes)
Chris Wilcox (6 votes)
None of them (9 votes)
100 total votes


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