Empty the Bench

“Make no mistake, everybody is in play right now. There are no sacred cows here. You lose that sacred cow status when you lose three straight years. I have no interest in completely ripping the team down. Will I look to making significant changes? Yeah, you’re damn right I will.” – Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations, on June 3, 2008

There you have it: it promises to be a summer of change and transition for the Detroit Pistons after their third consecutive loss in the Eastern Conference Finals. Head coach Flip Saunders was disposed of yesterday and replaced with assistant coach Michael Curry, and during that press conference Dumars made the above comments which seem to signal his intent to break up at least part of the core group that has in large part made this franchise one of the NBA’s most successful since the turn of the century.

The question still remains: how do you improve a team that won 59 games, advanced to the Conference Finals with relative ease, and matched up extremely well with the Boston Celtics, a team that won 66 games and is a good bet to win the title? It won’t be easy, and there are any number of ways Dumars could choose to go about it: try to move up in this month’s amateur draft, target a big-name superstar in trade, move a few of his high-priced vets and clear cap space for next summer, etc.

One move seems almost certain: trade Rasheed Wallace. It personally pains me to write that—anybody who knows me is well aware how big of a ‘Sheed fan I am. I’ve always wanted him to be a Piston, and up until the latter half of this season wanted him to retire a Piston.

No more.

Given his ECF antics, his expiring contract worth about $13.6 million, and the Pistons’ need for a true post-up power forward with ups and hustle, it’s time for Wallace to bid adieu to the franchise he won a championship with and move on. A change of scenery served him well once, and perhaps it will again. Best of luck, ‘Sheed, and thanks for the fish.

That brings me to the crux of this post: five (of the many) possible trade scenarios involving Wallace. Some of them make a lot of sense; others are somewhat of a stretch. All work money-wise according to ESPN’s Trade Machine.

Five Rasheed Wallace trade scenarios after the jump…

Trade Scenario #1

Pistons trade Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton to Philadelphia 76ers for Andre Iguodala and Rodney Carney

Of all the possible trades outlined here, to me this one makes the most sense for both teams. As a restricted free agent, Iguodala has made no progress as of yet in regards to a long-term contract extension and at this point he seems just as likely to leave Philly via a sign-and-trade as he does to stay. Though Carney came on somewhat towards the end of the regular season, the second-year player has struggled to find his niche with the Sixers and was already mentioned as possible trade bait around this season’s trade deadline. It wouldn’t take much for Philly to part ways with the athletic former first-round pick.

As Pistons fans have been reminded just about every time Detroit has played a road game in Philadelphia these past four seasons, Wallace and Hamilton are Philly guys. They grew up in the area, played high-school ball in the area, and still have lots o’ ties to the area. Though Iguodala has become a fan favorite and assumed the mantle of Face of the Franchise once Allen Iverson was sent to Denver, replacing him with these two popular hometown heroes will help blunt the sting of Iguodala’s departure.

Andre Iguodala Photo Credit: Icon SMI

A frontline of Wallace, Samuel Dalembert, and Thaddeus Young could potentially be one of the best in the East, while the veteran backcourt of Hamilton and Andre Miller wouldn’t be all too dissimilar from the Billups/Hamilton combo that has worked so well in Detroit. If Wallace works out, the Sixers resign him to a 2-3 year deal; if he doesn’t, his bloated contract comes off the books following the 2008-09 season.

Detroit gets much-needed depth at small forward behind Tayshaun Prince in Carney, who has the potential to be a solid contributor given the proper coaching and minutes. The guy has plenty of athleticism to spare and can score in bunches. Iguodala gives them a rough, rugged inside/outside scorer who plays defense, runs the floor, and is hungry—he’d no doubt endear himself to Pistons faithful right off the bat.

Trade Scenario #2

Pistons trade Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups to Los Angeles Clippers for Elton Brand and Corey Maggette

Here’s where Wallace’s expiring contract worth about $13.6 million comes into play. Suppose the Clippers aren’t completely sold on Brand’s ability to stay healthy over the long haul, and instead of re-upping him this summer choose to instead bide their time until the summer of ‘09 when the free agent market could potentially read like a Who’s Who of NBA All-Star Games over the past 5+ years. Even if ‘Sheed is only around for one season, they’ll still have Billups locked up through the 2011/2012 season. And as any Clippers fans knows well, this team is in desperate need of a legitimate point guard.

This would be a no-brainer for the Pistons. Brand would be signed to a new contract that would keep him in Detroit for at least five seasons and give them one of the best all-around big men in the league, one who is not shy about establishing himself in the post (unlike Wallace). The departure of Billups would free up extra cap space down the road, allow Rodney Stuckey to step into the starting lineup at the point, and give the team some intriguing depth on the wings with Hamilton, Prince, and Corey Maggette as the principal players. Though Maggette is starting to have the look of a guy who’s just not a winner, he is one of the NBA’s very best at getting to the hole and drawing fouls, something this team has sorely lacked in recent years.

Trade Scenario #3

Pistons trade Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton to Dallas Mavericks for Josh Howard, Jason Terry, and Jerry Stackhouse

The Mavericks have already mortgaged their future by trading a few draft picks and PG Devin Harris to the Nets for an aging Jason Kidd, so why not go whole hog and put even more of your eggs into one basket? The Mavericks lack size and depth in the frontcourt, as well as somebody to take pressure and double teams off of Dirk Diggler—‘Sheed fills the bill on all levels. Hamilton would thrive next to a pass-first (and pass-second, third, and fourth) PG like Kidd and again give them greater financial flexibility down the road given he’s only on the books for two more seasons at $20 million. If the Mavs don’t win it all next year, both Kidd and Wallace give them massive cap room next summer.

The Pistons would need to do a little roster rejigging with such a move. A backcourt of Billups, Terry, and Stuckey could potentially be one of the best in the East, but it seems a bit mismatched. Stackhouse would give them depth, but more likely would be bought out rather than be kept on for a second stint in Detroit. The main piece is Josh Howard, who the Mavs don’t seem to have a particular affinity for ever since his pot-smoking admission (which was made far too big of a deal about). How would he fit in with Tayshaun Prince already manning the small forward spot? Would he come off the bench? Would Prince be moved in a separate trade? This scenario seems to make more sense for Dallas than it does Detroit.

Trade Scenario #4

Pistons trade Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton to Milwaukee Bucks for Michael Redd, Charlie Villanueva, and Andrew Bogut

I don’t know that this makes sense for the Bucks, but some kind of deal involving these two teams could very well happen if not this summer sometime in the near future. It’s no secret that GMs in all professional sports who have a friendship outside the realm of business tend to strike deals with each other more easily than with those who are just peers. Joe Dumars and new Bucks GM John Hammond, who arrives in Milwaukee via a long tenured service with the Pistons, enjoy such a relationship.

The Bucks have made it known that both Redd and Villanueva can be had for the right price—would they do it for Wallace and Hamilton, and move Bogut as well? In Hamilton they get a proven playoff performer signed at a much more reasonable number than Redd, and Wallace would solidify the middle for the next 2-3 seasons and give the Bucks a significant defensive upgrade over Bogut on the blocks. The Pistons acquire a dynamic pure scorer in Redd, a versatile if inconsistent forward in Villanueva, and a true center who’s good not great in Bogut.

Trade Scenario #5

Pistons trade Rasheed Wallace to New Orleans Hornets for Tyson Chandler

If the Hornets are serious about winning a championship in the next two seasons, this deal could be more reasonable than you might think. Though Chandler is younger and a better rebounder, Wallace would take heat off of David West by drawing defenders out of the key because of his ability to knock down triples. He’s also arguably a better man and help defender and clearly a much more skilled offensive players overall. And, again—he’s only signed for one more season. If the Hornets don’t like what they see, they have a nice chunk of change to spend next summer.

The Pistons get a hungry post player who rebounds, rebounds, blocks shots, rebounds, and rebounds. He’ll never be a premier scorer, but he cleans up rather well around the glass. Chandler doesn’t turn 26 until October and is signed for two more seasons with a player option for a possible third. Acquiring the 7-1 Chandler would be a bold move and could signal Dumars’ willingness to roll with Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson as his power forwards—it remains to be seen whether either one will work as a full-time starter.