'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 42

[nasty daddy]

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Curry Out In Detroit: Seriously, you cannot be surprised that Michael Curry was let go yesterday by the Detroit Pistons. His players had soured on him, he was lost more nights than not, and when free agents say your coach is a deterrent to signing, you have to make a change. Joe Dumars really thought Curry would come around and that he could make things happen in Detroit; the reality is he lost the respect of his players and most of them talked about it to other players when the season ended.

On the eve of Detroit's big play into free agency it was clear that Dumars had no choice but to let Curry go, or he was never going to get the audience with the players he wanted to secure.

So with Dumars doing his best to lure players in, he now also has to find a head coach. The top names include Michigan State's Tom Izzo (who already turned the job down), former Mavericks' coach Avery Johnson (a perfect fit) and former coach Doug Collins. Dumars put no time line on his coaching search, but it's clear he'd better have a real candidate in line before July 8th or free agents could simply pass him by.

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Iverson to Charlotte? Aagin, this should not come as a shock – but word is that Allen Iverson will have a sit down with the Charlotte Bobcats this week in hopes of finding a new home and a possible reunion with Larry Brown. Word is that Iverson's camp initiated contact and will try and make a deal happen, any deal is not expected to be for major dollars as the Bobcats are being extremely cost conscious as they try and find a buyer for the team.

Current team president Michael Jordan has assembled a group of investors but is not looking to buy the team at a premium, in fact he is said to be seeking a sizable discount from the $350 million price tag insiders say Robert Johnson attached to the club. Jordan is currently a minority owner and sources say he wants to swap roles with Johnson, will pay him cash to the tune of $250-$280 million, but Johnson would have to remain in the ownership group as a silent partner and potential funding source.

Former Rockets' executive George Postolos and his The Postolos Group, are also said to be talking to Johnson and may be willing to meet his asking price and are rumored to be involved in some basic due diligence. So as the Bobcats open free agency and initial trade discussions, keep in mind adding long term contracts or trading for long term deals may not be allowed by Johnson as he tries to get out of the Bobcats, and that Larry Brown has already said if Michael Jordan is not part of the ownership group, he'd be leaving too.

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Ricardo in Detroit:
any chance Tayshun Prince gets traded? maybe to the Blazers? id like the Blazers to go get him instead of Hedo

Tommy Beer:
Personally, I think Dumars would be crazy to trade Prince. He is a winner, a great teammate, and he is locked into a very affordable contract. But stranger things have happened. If the Pistons sign Hedo, they may consider offers for Prince. But if they did trade Tayshaun, I don't think the Blazers would move the players the Pistons would want in return.

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Michael in Australia:
Now Boozer has opted to stay put, i say trade the hell out of him!! What are the options? Wait till the trade deadline or do it now?

Tommy Beer:
The first order of business is deciding whether or not to match the offer Millsap gets - b/c we know he is going to get a big offer very soon.... Needless the say, the Jazz were not expecting Boozer, Okur, and Korver to all stay in Utah for another season. Now the issue is the luxury tax. They are already in luxury tax land, even before (potentially) matching Millsap's offer sheet. The worst-case scenario would be losing Millsap this summer, and then watching Boozer walk away next summer as an unrestricted FA. So, if they keep Millsap, trading Boozer becomes a very viable option. But the big problem the Jazz are facing would be not getting anything of value in return for Boozer - as a team trading for him would be weary they would just be renting him and losing him the following summer. One option would be trading him this month to a team that has cap space. For instance, let's say the Pistons don't land Hedo or Gordon or any of their main targets. They could trade Utah for young players/picks and absorb most of Boozer's salary. Utah clears that contract off the books, and Detroit gets a one-year try-out from Boozer, with the possibility to re-sign him if things go well. (And we can safely assume Boozer's agent, Rob Pelinka, realized the true to maximize contract dollars is to sign and extension as opposed to opting out.)

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Detroit Looking To Add More Huskies
The Detroit Pistons have flown in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, their top two targets, with the hopes of getting deals worked out with them both according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. All of the moves that Joe Dumars executed over the past year have the Pistons roughly $20 million under the cap, which is about to go to both Villanueva and Gordon if negotiations go smoothly.

Landing the two UConn products would help justify the highly criticized Chauncy Billups trade, but as Jason Fleming pointed out it would likely mean that it's time to put Rip Hamilton on the trading block. The Pistons are also without a coach right now, which is something that will certainly have to be addressed soon but right now the priority is properly utilizing the cap space that they gave away the 2008-2009 season for.

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BREAKING NEWS:
Just got off the phone with a source that has learned the Pistons and guard Ben Gordon have agreed on a 5-year / $55 million contract.

Also, the Pistons apparently have agreed to terms with Charlie Villanueva to a five-year, $35 million dollar contract….Wow. The first big free-agent shots have been fired…

Lots to digest here… The Pistons backcourt is now awfully crowded, with Stuckey, Rip, and now Gordon…. They have to try to move Rip now, right? You don't give a guy $11 million per to come off the bench. Interesting…And that is a ton of money to give to two guys who don't play much defense. The pistons were great in the late 1980's and the mid's 90's because of their defense, not because they would outscore people…

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jim in ny:
do you think allen iverson will be good under mike d antoni

Tommy Beer:
We'll never know... He won't be heading to New York. Charlotte is the most likely destination. In some respects, it make sense b/c Larry Brown has proven he can handle The Answer. And AI did average over 26 points and 7 assists – and played all 82 games – back in 2007-2008, but he seemed to lost a whole lot off his fastball last season… And, on the flip side, the Cat's have Felton and D.J. Augustine at the Point. And they have Raja Bell at the Two and they just drafted Gerald Henderson... Is this really a match made in heaven??? Can Iverson keep his ego in check on a team that won't be competing for a championship?? Although he is on the downside of his career, Iverson took the league by storm as a youngster. (And no player looked cooler then AI when he rocked the patent leather Jordan's at Georgetown).

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josh in detroit:
i was reading in an article that hedos suitors are detroit and portland..how will that work? says here its up to magic which team has a better sign n trade offer? hedo can only leave thru sign n trade?

Tommy Beer:
Nope - any team with enough space under the cap can sign him. A sign-and-trade would only be truly necessary if the pursuing team wasn't under the cap. And this might be the case, now that it appears Detroit's cap space is chewed up by Gordon and Charlie V.
And I have heard that Orlando isn't opposed to a sign-and-trade involving Hedo or Gortat, as long as they got back pieces that make the Magic better. (They would also prefer if those guys join a Western conference team.) So if the Blazers want Hedo, and he wants more than the cap space they have available, the Magic would entertain a sign-and-trade – with Portland possibly sending back a package of Travis Outlaw and some of their many picks… Orlando went the sign-and-trade route to land Rashard Lewis, so they are well aware of how the game is played…

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WillieT in Landers, WY:
Hey Beer, With Det. going after Ben G. what about Rip to Denver Trade Exception and Hunter to Utah and Boozer to Det.?

Tommy Beer:
That's not a crazy idea. How much is Denver's trade exception? I'd have to look that up. Also depends on how badly Utah wants to dump Boozer…The Pistons are going to need to do something to alleviate that guard glut. I am sure Dumars has a plan in place, but I haven't heard any details as of yet…However, I can pass some Pistons info along - I heard from a source this afternoon that Doug Collins and Avery Johnson are the frontrunners for the Head Coaching gig in Detroit. Also, in more comical news, I heard that David Khan is intent on interviewing over 20+ candidates for the Minnesota job. The way it was explained to me is that Khan is determined to leave no stone uncovered and will look at former players, coaches, exces' etc… The short list in 'Sota ain't so short….

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yo yo in hoopstown:
ESPN is reporting $50 million over 5 years. You're saying 55 million????

Tommy Beer:
Not sure – what other places are reporting. I was answering questions and loading them up when I got the word that Gordon agreed to a deal with Detroit. SO I have no idea what else is floating around out there… I was told $55 million is the number. We'll have to wait and see…

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Chris in Dubuque, IA:
Can you explain Ben Gordon to me? He turned down $10 million/year twice from the Bulls, but seems like that'll be enough to land him in Detroit. Does that make sense?

Tommy Beer:
It was a calculated gamble by Gordon. He actually didn't get burned as badly as some thought he would. You have to remember, he turned down those big offers from the Bulls while the economy was booming. Nobody, not even Alan Greenspan or Warren Buffet saw the Great Depression Part II coming…

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John in Bos, MA:
Is Rasheed to Boston guaransheed?

Tommy Beer:
Nah – The C's want him badly after KG lobbied management hardcore. But word is 'Sheed is another guy that will take his time and feel for the best fit. Word is San Antonio is a suitor as well, although he is definitely not a Coach Popovich-type player. And also Orlando is in the mix. Could 'Sheed shift the balance of power in the East?

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Christian in guelph, ontario:
is charlie v the pistons new starting PF? please explain to me why turkoglu is worth all the money that is reportidly offered to him??

Tommy Beer:
Re: Hedo's worth - Here's a stat for you: During the 2007-2008 NBA season, there were only 5 players to average at least 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. The five were: T-Mac, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and…. Hedo Turkoglu. Not bad company to keep. Moreover, Hedo has the stones to take and make big shots in big games. I'm not saying I'd give him $12+ million a season, but he is an undeniably talented difference-maker. Re: Charlie V. – Yes, safe to assume he'll start at the 4. If they re-sign McDyess, things get a bit more complicated, and they could bring him off the bench.

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Paul in Akron, Ohio:
What do you see the cavs doing this off season? Are we close to 'Sheeed? What about Grant Hill or Matt Barnes?

Tommy Beer:
Yes, I think Barnes and Hill make a lot of sense.
If I were the Cavs (or any capped-out team for that matter): I'd search for value, as opposed to the big-name flashy player. I pursue guys like: Jamario Moon, Matt Rodney Carney, Channing Frye, Ike Diogu. These are guys can provide a real bang-for-the-buck. I think Channing Frye, if he finds the right system, is one of those types of players that will sign for real cheap and provide solid production. He can't guard anybody, but he is a big man that can stretch out the floor and knock down perimeter jumpers.

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Dakid in :
I feel like I lost my favorite toy! After making a verbal commitment as Ben Gordon reportedly has to the Pistons,is there any instances or possibility for him to go back on that commitment to give the Bulls the opportunity to re-sign him?

Tommy Beer:
Nothing is official until the contract is signed. And no contracts can be signed until July 8th.

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Eddie in Maryland:
What type of systems would these three players thrive in? Charlie Villaneuva Hedo Turkoglu Carlos Boozer How would the supposed teams they're supposed to sign with (CLE, POR, and DET respectively)be able to maximize their talents?

Mike Moreau:
Villanueva has to be given the ball and room to work, so he has to be a primary scoring option when he is on the floor. He can take advantage of mismatches with his size and versatility, but he won't give you anything but scoring. Hedu is maybe the best pick and roll small forward in the world, and Boozer has to be the primary post up option with a team with a perimeter shooting big man. All three have great value and are garnering interest accordingly. But, you should always be cautious when courting players who have been successful in firmly established roles with their current teams. When they make a change, sometimes it works out, other times it doesn't. That's why players should think long and hard about chasing a little more money and taking themselves out of what has made them successful. When you start thinking it's all about you, you realize pretty quickly when you get into a bad situation that it isn't.

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david in detroit:
great move by dumars firing curry ,how can you bench iverson what a disaster what coach will they be after now

Mike Moreau:
David, I understand your sentiments. However, the Iverson situation was screwed up by management, not by Curry. For Piston management to throw Curry under the bus now is a travesty. Keep in mind, this was the same Pistons management that drafted Darko over Carmelo Anthony. Iverson should only have been brought on board to come off the bench. You can't bench one of the all-time great Pistons in Rip Hamilton for an all-time bad teammate and coaching nightmare. Management created the problem, dropped it on Curry, then sat on high in judgement as it imploded - just as many of us knew it would. I think Avery Johnson is the right guy at this point.

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ronny in ny:
now that the detroit pistons fired curry i think avery johnson will make a good coach

Mike Moreau:
I'm with you Ronny. Curry was the fall guy for management's poor management, but at this point, I think AJ would be the best man for the jo

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Ryan in Portland Oregon:
any chance Tayshun Prince gets traded? maybe to the Blazers? i we dont get Hedo, we should trade for Tayshun.

Mike Moreau:
Tayshaun Prince is a piece you must have to win a championship. He makes any team he goes to better. Detroit trades him at their peril.

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Michael in Houston, TX:
In your opinion, who has the most potential that was never realized amongst current NBA players?

Mike Moreau:
Kwame Brown has to be at the top for me. Had him here for what was supposed to be a week right after he was drafted, he gave good effort day one, didn't post on some other days, and it has been all downhill from the start. Athletic freak, wonderfully gifted, woefully underachieved.