Is Rasheed Wallace Done in Detroit?

On Sun, 1 Jun 2008 08:15:08 -0700 (PDT), lhrsfo.DeleteThis@hotmail.com wrote:

>"f the Pistons break up their vaunted core, Rasheed Wallace may be the
>first out of town: in addition to exemplifying the team's problems
>with consistency and frequent complaining to the referees, he's also
>heading into the final year of his contract..."
>
>FanHouse: http://easyurl.net/Rasheed

That is a very real possibility. Given the value of Rasheed's
contract and his unique skills, there is good value for the dollar
there which makes him very tradeable.

Add to that the fact the Pistons have the 29th and 59th picks in the
draft this year and 4 picks next year (due to the Delfino and other
trades). There is no one the Pistons need at the 29th pick worth the
money because it is a guaranteed contract at that slot. Therefore it
is possible Dumars could bundle Rasheed, the 29th pick and maybe one
or two of next year's picks to move up in the draft.

For sure the bottom of the roster is going to change. Juan Dixon,
Jarvis Hayes, Lindsey Hunter, Theo Ratliff and Walter Herrmann all are
headed for free agency. Hunter is expected to retire, as is Ratliff
though both may change their minds. Pistons may match any offer given
to Hayes and bring him back. They'd like to keep Herrmann but he's
liable to get an offer from a European team in Euros that would be too
hard to match given the current exchange rate. Some reports are
saying a team in Spain is interested in Herrmann.

Pistons have two needs that they may try to address in this year's
draft; a young big man to groom in combination with Amir Johnson,
Cheikh Samb and Jason Maxiell, since both Rasheed Wallace and Antonio
McDyess will be 34 by the time next season tips off; and an athletic
small forward to compete for minutes with or behind Tayshaun Prince.
That's assuming they don't resign Hayes.

Free agency starts July 1. Thanks to the last December trade of Nazr
Mohammed that had favorable salary-cap implications, the Pistons can
and likely will use some or all of their mid-level exception to pursue
a veteran free agent or two. With many teams pressed tight against or
over the luxury-tax threshold, the market should again be favorable
for teams in a buying mode. And somewhere in all of that, Dumars will
consider trade possibilities – with a greater likelihood than years
past, perhaps, that a veteran instrumental to the six straight
conference finals appearances will be on the table.

Regards,

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(o o)
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"I never said most of the things I said."
-- Yogi Berra
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Steve