Earlier this month, Carlos Delfino gave an interview to a Spanish-language newspaper that seemed to suggest that he wanted out of Detroit for lack of playing time. I say "seemed to suggest" because we never received a conclusive translation, but whether or not that's actually what he meant is somewhat of a moot point as Joe Dumars already went on the record earlier this summer saying he has no plans to trade him.
On Monday, Pistons VP of basketball operations John Hammond was asked specifically about Delfino's latest comments, and he also dismissed any reason for concern. A. Sherrod Blakely writes:
"In our face-to-face meetings, he has given us every indication that he wants to play in Detroit, that he doesn't want to be traded, and that he wants to be the best NBA player he can be," John Hammond, Detroit's vice president of basketball operations, said on Monday. "We fully expect him to come in and be a player that will contribute this season."
In June, Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars spoke with Delfino about whether he wanted to remain with the team.
Delfino told Dumars his preference would be to stay in Detroit, but if head coach Flip Saunders didn't want him or if he wasn't going to play, a trade might be the best thing for both parties.
Team officials assured Delfino there would be more opportunities to play next season, after several roster changes were made.
Last month, the Pistons traded Maurice Evans, who split playing time with Delfino last season, to the Los Angeles Lakers for their second-round draft pick, 7-foot-1 Cheick Samb of Senegal. Earlier this month, the Pistons added small forward Ronald Dupree, a player Delfino beat out for playing time in training camp last season.
Blakely also added a quote from Dumars, who reiterated his stance on moving players who don't want to play in Detroit:
"If he says he thinks he should be somewhere else, then I'll be calling you guys together and say, `We just made a trade,' " Dumars said earlier this month. "It's simple. It's not a gray area for me. It's black and white."
So that's that. Delfino may or may not have spouted off to the foreign press, but he's singing a different tune to the Pistons. It sounds like all he really wants is to play, and I can't fault him for that -- he's a 23 year oldHe turns 24 on August 29. former first-round pick who's yet to get a real chance to crack the rotation. It seems like a lot of Pistons fans are on one side of the fence or the other with him, but with any luck this upcoming season we'll be able to stop debating his potential and start talking about his production.
Pistons don't put much stock in story that Delfino wants out [MLive.com]