Joe Dumars Denies Pistons Trade Rumors
The Detroit Pistons’ constantly shifting rotation has forced the GM to answer questions about potential trades. Joe D, however, says nothing is in the works: “It was curious when Tayshaun Prince was a late scratch Tuesday due to what the team reported as a lower back strain, and Jason Maxiell didn’t play against Orlando. Was there a trade in the works? Were they considering packaging Prince and Maxiell for another expiring contract that could help them next summer in the free-agent shopping market? Joe Dumars shot down the suspicions, insisting there are no deals looming. He figures that the Pistons already have enough new faces. But Dumars also must understand that one of the consequences of transition is the perception of a revolving door in the Pistons’ locker room.”
This story is filed under: NBA, Other News
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Looking at the salaries of both players, this wouldn’t be an issue since Prince is making a little more than $10.3 million and Kaman is set to earn $10.4 million. Perfect. Now that we know it’s possible, we can analyze whether the trade makes sense for both teams. A concept often neglected in hypothetical trade talk is the logic of the trade for the other team. Most Pistons fans agree that the team is in need of a post scorer, but do the Clippers have a need for a small forward with Prince’s skill set, and do they have a plan in place to absorb the loss of Kaman? The Clippers currently have a two-man rotation at small forward with veteran Rasual Butler, the current starter, and 2007 lottery pick Al Thornton, who is playing significant minutes off the bench after recently being replaced by Butler in the starting lineup. It should also be noted, Butler is in the final year of his contract. While Prince would add some veteran stability to the position, especially on the defensive end, it’s hard to imagine the Clippers long-term plan is to continue bringing Thornton off the bench, unless the team would be willing to play him at both forward positions.
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