Pistons Odds and Ends and free agency preview

-Carlos Boozer elected to pick up his player option and is staying in Utah for next season. His salary will be $12.7 million, and it does make it harder for the Jazz to re-sign Milsap. They are currently at a little more than $70 million next year, so they would have to go above the luxury tax to keep Milsap. One thing that does work in Utah's favor is that Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Matt Harpring, and Kyle Korver are all coming off their salary cap for next season. Hence, in the short term, it will hurt them financially to keep Milsap. On the flip side, long term, it might be beneficial for them.

From the Pistons perspective, we could still get Boozer in a trade. But, Dumars has been adamant that he wants to land 2 impact free agents. Taking on Boozer's salary may prevent that from happening. And, on the surface it may appear that this makes it easier to land Milsap. But, we would still have to overpay for him. Anything under $10 million a year and the Jazz may very well match that offer.

-Drew Sharp provided his commentary on the Curry firing.

"The Detroit Pistons desperately need a significant free-agent infusion this summer, and they feared that the character assassination done on Curry within the players fraternity might cost them the coaches they’re targeting.

Curry became the easiest sacrifice."

I mentioned this below and I agree with Sharp. Curry is not well respected around the NBA and the fact that he was fired the day before free agency begins is not a coincedence.

"It was either him or Rip Hamilton. And when have you ever heard of the star player losing that debate?"

-In a sense, I agree with Sharp. I do think a lot of this firing had to do with Curry's inability to earn respect from his players. But, I do not think Hamilton is the type of player we should make our coaching decisions around. Now, I am no fool. The NBA, more than any other league, is a player's league and the star players run the league. But, Rip Hamilton is not one of those players. He is and has been a good player for awhile here. But, it is not like he is some irreplaceable player. If LeBron or Wade or Kobe or Howard want a coach out, then they get their wish. I do not think Hamilton has earned that type of privelage.

-Free agency starts tomorrow for the NBA. Feels great, doesn't it. NBA and NHL free agency opening day is one of my favorite days as a sports fan. The Pistons have roughly $18 million in cap room to go after the potential free agents. Here is a good general free agency preview provided by Hoopsworld.

Some points of interest...

"So, which teams are currently positioned to bid the most on the 2009 free-agent crop? After examining each team's salary commitments it is clear there are very few teams with much of cap space available this summer. And once you factor in guaranteed money owed to 2009 draft picks and minimum cap holds, you are essentially looking at only six teams with significant cap-room to make a run at a free agent. Here are the teams, along with their approximate cap space in parentheses: Detroit Pistons ($18 million), Memphis Grizzlies ($20 million), OKC Thunder ($15 million), Portland Trail Blazers ($8 million), Sacramento Kings ($12 million), and Atlanta Hawks ($9 million).

However, this certainly doesn't mean that all these teams will use the cap space afforded to them. If history is any indicator, franchises such as the Grizzlies and Thunder are in no hurry to spend their entire allowance and bump up against the cap. (Last season, the Grizz had the lowest payroll in the League). As far as Sacramento is concerned, the Kings owners, the Maloof brothers, have been hit hard by the economic downturn. And the Kings – while they have some nice young pieces on the roster - are certainly not going to compete for the title next season; so don't expect them to break the bank for top-notch, expensive talent. In addition, Atlanta's trade for Jamal Crawford will certainly eat into their expected maneuverability.

Thus, if you are one of the elite players in the 2009 free agent crop, you have to hope that the Pistons, Thunder, and/or Grizzlies are keenly interested and come calling."

-To put in bluntly, there is a reason why there are not many teams with cap space for this offseason. It is not too good, and there are not many great options available. With that said, we are the most attractive option for free agents and we can target basically whoever we want.

"Ben Gordon (U) - Gordon and the Bulls have been playing chicken for the last few years. It will all come to a head over the next few weeks. While he isn't a great defender and the Bulls haven't been overly successful during his tenure in Chicago, Gordon is a gifted scorer that can light up any scoreboard when he is locked in. As with almost every quality free-agent in this class, Detroit has been linked as a possible suitor (although that would require the Pistons moving Rip Hamilton as part of the process.)"

I already addressed the Ben Gordon to Detroit rumor here. If it does happen, Rip would almost certainly be traded for a big man (like Tyson Chandler or Chris Kaman). I will provide an in-depth breakdown of Gordon if indeed he does sign with us. But, for a brief preview, in the short-term it has both positives (can create own shot, better scorer than Rip) and negatives (terrible defensively and turnover prone). Long term, because of the difference in age, Gordon would get the edge.

"Hedo Turkoglu (ETO) – It was widely assumed that the Magic would do whatever they had to do in order to bring back Turk, who was an integral part of their Eastern Conference championship-winning puzzle. But after Otis Smith brought in Vince Carter via a blockbuster deal with Orlando, all bets are off. Hedo is most definitely in play. Rumors intimate that the Pistons are interested and will definitely kick the tires a bit."

-Turkoglu is an interesting option because he plays the 3/4 hybrid position that Dumars seems to be targeting now, as evidenced by his most recent draft picks. If Turkoglu signs, Prince would probably be dealt for a big man and Hamilton would stay. Turkoglu is a better player than Prince and would make roughly the same amount of money. This would be a win for the Pistons as long as Dumars does not get fleeced on the deal.

"Trevor Ariza (U) – No player has earned himself more money over the last couple months of the season than Ariza. Trevor proved he was a capable perimeter defender and consistently knocked down important three's on the Lakers march to the title. There will be plenty of interest league-wide; will the Lakers show Ariza the money?'

-He would be a cheaper and younger option than Turkoglu. He is also a superior defensive player. On the flip side, he is not the passer, shooter or scorer that Turkoglu is. And, in order to get Ariza, I think we would have to overpay for him more then we would have to overpay to get Turkoglu.

Charlie Villanueva (R) – Per the description of the Sessions situation above, many believe that the Bucks traded Richard Jefferson in order to clear up the cash to re-up both Charlie V and Ramon.

I addressed Villanueva in-depth here.

"Marcin Gortat (R) – Superman's backup could jump at a chance to get paid starter's money and play starter's minutes. Orlando would love to bring him back as insurance, but likely won't be able to afford his increased price tag. In a league literally starving for size and even adequate centers, Gortat's agent will be contacted by just about every team in the NBA."

If the price is reasonable, he is worth a look.

-Needless to say, this is a very important free agency for Dumars and the Pistons. Now, more than ever, this is a no win situation for Dumars. And, more than ever, the pressure is being turned on Dumars to make the right moves this offseason. If he hands out long term deals to the wrong players, it could hanicap the franchise for years to come.