And the rest of him, too.
In the midst of the team's busiest free agency in years, it still seems that there is one shoe left to drop. At present, the only player capable of manning the Center position is Kwame Brown. That's not an easy problem to solve.
That's why I love hearing (albeit from Bass' agent) that the Pistons are interested in signing the Mavericks big man. At first glance, Bass appears to be yet another undersized power forward. But he's so much more than that.
He's also an undersized center.
I am on the record as someone who does not buy into the concept that every team needs a 7 footer planted in the center. Does anyone think it was Adnrew Bynum's 6 ppg on 32 percent shooting that led LA to victory over Orlando.
Brandon Bass is athletic, a strong defender and a good rebounder. He also creates matchup headaches at the 4 and 5 positions with his solid midrange game. If nothing else, he'll be a quality replacement for McDyess.
He would give the Pistons some lineup versatility as well. They can go small with Bass in the middle, or slot him over to the five against bigger teams.
But, as Matt pointed out, the Pistons aren't a contending team looking for a finishing touch. Joe Dumars should be in the business of stockpiling talent at a reasonable price. This is probably the last time we'll see Brandon Bass available at anything less than the MLE.
At 24, Bass fits nicely with our rebuilding movement. He has also played few enough minutes that there remains some room for improvement, especially on the defensive end. His free throw shooting, in particular, indicates the potential for a perimeter style game to blossom.
It appears that Portland and Orlando are interested in his services, though Portland has turned it's gaze to Paul Millsap. I think it would be worth shedding a contract or two in order to get Bass.
Make it happen, Joe.