It's only a matter of time

Late last week, a story surfaced that the Pistons nixed a deal that would've sent Hamilton to the Nets. In the proposed deal, the Pistons would send Hamilton and their 2011 first round pick to the Nets, in exchange for Troy Murphy and Johan Petro.

Troy Murphy has a $12million expiring contract. He's also not a horrible player who might actually help the Pistons with rebounding. On most teams, Murphy would be the 4th or 5th option. On a team as desperate as the Pistons, he might see time in the starting lineup (doubtful, but possible).

Johan Petro, however, is a different story. For some reason, the Nets signed him to a 3 year deal that will pay him $3.25M next season and $3.5M the season after that. This is for a guy who's scored 88 points total this season. No thanks. In addition, the Nets wanted the Pistons 1st round pick - a pick that will likely be in the top 7. That's just crazy. The Pistons would love to unload Hamilton's $12.5M/year contract, but they ain't that desperate.

So, apparently, the Nets reconsidered. They nixed their demand for a first round pick. The Nets want to make this trade happen, but the Pistons are the least of their worries. At the center of this trade is the Denver Nuggets. The trade originated as a way to bring Carmelo to New Jersey. In its current incarnation, the Nuggets would send Carmelo and Chauncey to New Jersey, thus reuniting Chauncey with Rip. The Nets would send 2 first-round picks and most of their important players not named Brook Lopez to Denver. Troy Murphy and Petro go to Detroit.

All the parties seem committed to making this deal happen. Now, it's only a matter of time.

From the Pistons perspective, it sorta sucks to take on a stiff like Petro, but it's better than dealing with Hamilton's 3 year contract. Adrian Wojnarowski of YahooSports tweeted that the Nets may even give the Pistons a draft pick just so they can dump Petro. That would be nice.

With Hamilton leaving, part of me will definitely be a bit sad. Despite his horrible play the past few seasons, I still consider him an immense talent. He was a great Piston. Not just good -- he was great. In the playoffs, he was the most consistent scorer. He seemed immune to pressure, and, until recently, seemed to be a great guy in general. I have no doubt he'll succeed elsewhere, especially if reunited with Billups. Piston fans should cheer Rip in his return. He gave a lot to the team.

UPDATE: Pistons will receive a 2nd Rounder from New Jersey. Good on Joe to go from having to give up a 1st rounder to getting NJ to give him a pick! Unfortunately, this trade is still speculation. Denver remains the holdout.