http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 1/SPORTS03
Pistons president Joe Dumars' Blackberry probably is buzzing away today, ringing with calls from general managers across the NBA trying to gauge what he's willing to part with on the eve of the trade deadline. The answer? Not much. With the deadline looming at 3 p.m. Thursday, the Pistons remain steadfast that, while they'll always listen to and consider options to make the team better, they are not interested in breaking up their core nor parting with any young talent.
That means it's likely to be a quiet deadline day, and that's fine with the captain. "I'm extremely happy with what we've got," point guard Chauncey Billups said. "Our bench has been great. We don't need to talk about the starters, but our bench has been phenomenal. No moves would be great for me." The front office might not be seeking roster-overhauling trades, but minor moves certainly will get serious consideration. The Pistons have long been trying to find reserve guard Flip Murray a new home, without success. The difficulty comes in identifying the right partner. Murray, mired on the inactive list, has some value: He can be a scorer off the bench, and he has an expiring contract. But the Pistons cannot simply trade him for, say, a draft pick unless the other team has roster space and room under the salary cap (or a trade exception) to add his $1.8-million figure to the books. The Pistons could trade him for another player, but they would demand a similar expiring contract. That would be, more or less, a swapping of spare parts, so what's the point? If Murray can't be moved, Dumars said he won't necessarily waive him. Coach Flip Saunders said he and Dumars would try to figure out where Murray fits if he stays on the roster. Saunders said there's not room for Murray, Lindsey Hunter and rookie guards Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo to all be in the rotation, but there could be scenarios when Murray is needed. "Especially with being able to put players on the inactive list on a game-to-game basis, there's going to be teams where they will be heavy in guards," Saunders said. "Maybe one of the bigs has to sit in that situation."
The team also will field offers for center Primoz Brezec, who has an expiring contract. But in any trade involving Brezec, the Pistons would want to get another big man with an expiring deal in return. It's another what's-the-point situation. The Pistons also have expiring contracts in Hunter and small forwards Jarvis Hayes and Walter Herrmann, but they are not likely to be dealt.Hunter, being in the latter stage of his career, likely would not report to another team. The Pistons are intrigued by Herrmann and want to retain his rights as he enters free agency this summer. And Hayes has proved to be a valuable scorer off the bench. Even if the Pistons don't make a move, they believe they have the roster necessary to compete for the NBA title. "I guess so," Rasheed Wallace said. "That's on management ... if they're going to bring someone else in. But with the guys now, I think we can."The Pistons will wait and watch Thursday -- and likely remain quiet. And they won't worry -- much, anyway -- as the rest of the league takes part in what could be a very active day."You can only worry about what you're doing," Saunders said. "Whenever you make moves, it's 50-50. Sometimes they work out, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes it works out in the short term, sometimes it doesn't work out in the short term but it works out in the long term. You have to wait and see how quickly guys can fit in."
) are the ones they mentioned, Murray and Brezec. I also think Herrmann could be added to that mix but I don't see anyone wanting either of the other 2 right now and apparantly they want to see what they have with Herrmann before making an underiformed move.
