http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=11605Detroit's Next Move?: The Pistons are looking at a very interesting situation right now – with $35 million of expiring contracts in Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson, the team could be a major player in free-agency this summer. But with the economy being rough right now, how much can they really spend and what would they spend it on? Looking at the team's roster, it seems pretty clear that the aging Iverson and Wallace are not worth keeping around. With a future backcourt of Rodney Stuckey and Richard Hamilton and with Tayshaun Prince lining up on the wing as one of the more underrated players in the league, the Pistons' weakness moving forward will more than likely be in the frontcourt at the power forward and center positions.
Although it's possible that they team could land Amar'e Stoudemire (would Joe Dumars trade Rasheed Wallace and Amir Johnson for Stoudemire if Stoudemire was committed to staying in Detroit after his contract runs out?), it's more likely that Dumars simply toughs this season out and uses his estimated $20 million in cap space over the summer wisely. With Johnson and Jason Maxiell (who signed a 4-year, $20 million extension in October) up front, the Pistons won't have much going into next year and will likely have to bring in a few big men. With a player option for next year, it's more than likely that Kwame Brown will stick around for next season, but that only really leaves the team with three guys down low.
The most obvious target will be Carlos Boozer, who can immediately come in and, if he's healthy, stabilize the frontcourt situation. He'll likely eat up $15 million or so of that cap space, leaving some more money available for the team to sign a back-up point guard; Jarrett Jack, Ramon Sessions, and Brevin Knight all fall within the price range of what might be left, but Dumars has a way of getting guys to sign on the cheap – could he possibly get Boozer for less and convince someone like Raymond Felton or Mike Bibby to join the Pistons? It's all fun to talk about, but the key for the Pistons is all that cap space. It seems unlikely that Dumars would jeopardize his options by making a huge splash just before the trade deadline. Talking about Amar'e in Pistons red, white, and blue may be fun, but it just doesn't seem to fit with what Dumars can likely do over the summer.
