Folks in Detroit are, for some reason, eager to take on Brand's salary for the chance to draft yet another shooting guard:
The trade postulated by blogger Dan Feldman would send Tayshaun and Detroit's #7 for Brand and the #2. The Pistons would then have $140million tied up between Rip, Little Ben, and Elton Brand. No thanks.
People are falling prey to the sexiness of the new young player. There is no guarantee the #2 pick will pan out any more than Darko. Taking on that Brand contract is way too steep a price. Now, I do believe there is talent in this draft. I'm a big fan of Turner and Cousins. I think either would vastly improve the Pistons. I just don't want to mortgage the future for a rookie. And Turner makes no sense with this current roster anyway. Hamilton, Gordon, and Stuckey eat up all the guard minutes. Two of those guys would have to go, and only one of them is trade-able (Stuckey).
To get Cousins, the Pistons might only have to trade up two spots. Or they could trade down, and still land Ekpe Udoh, the power forward/center with the best Piston pedigree (defense/shot-blocking).
My guess is that Dumars will stand pat on Draft Day and take Greg Monroe at #7. Later in the summer, after Lebron and Bosh sign with their respective teams, the rejected teams will still have tons of cap space available. They'll want to sign some talent. Dumars would then be able to shop Hamilton and Prince to much more willing listeners.
Admittedly, I don't follow the Pistons that much right now. And I know that the value of Tay is limited. And I don't like the sounds of the suggested trade. And I don't see the Pistons looking to take on more money right now, when Karen Davidson is rumored to be looking to sell the team.
ReplyDeleteBut what if it was Brand and the #2 overall for a bag of balls (ie, a 2nd round pick)? And would Philly go for it? I'm obviously ignoring the salary cap - is that why Tayshaun is part of the deal?
I don't think the Pistons are going to be contenders next year, and if you can rebuild with the #2 and #7, that's a hell of a starting point. Yes, Brand has a ridiculous contract, but if the Pistons aren't contending in 2010-11, then the real issue is his contract in 2011-12. Because by the final year, an expiring contract has value in trades. So yeah, I'd be willing to take on a bad contract for the #2 pick. But not at the expense of the #7, or losing Tay, who may have trade deadline value to a contender, or have value as part of a package.
I think that trade is about what Philly could expect. The inclusion of Brand is such a deal-breaker. It's $51million of wasted cash. Who would sign up for that?!
ReplyDeleteTay would have to be included in the deal to make the salary cap work. Joe D could instead include Rip or BG, but neither would be as appealing due to their long-term deals. Tay's contract is up after this season.