Pistons reconstruction

[Kings]

Jun 15: Toronto acquires Carlos Delfino from Detroit for a second-round draft pick in 2009 and 2011.


Jul 6: Detroit signs Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo.


July 11: Detroit re-signs Chauncey Billups.


Jul 13: Detroit re-signs Amir Johnson.


Jul 17: Detroit signs Cheick Samb.
Dec 22: Detroit recalls Cheikh Samb from Fort Wayne of the D-League.
Jan 29: Detroit assigns Cheikh Samb to Fort Wayne of the D-League.


Jul 23: Detroit signs Antonio McDyess to an extension.


Jul 24: Detroit signs Sammy Mejia.
Dec 29: Detroit waives Sammy Mejia.


Aug 16: Detroit signs Jarvis Hayes.


Oct 1: Detroit signs Gerald Fitch and extends the contract of Jason Maxiell.
Oct 15: Detroit waives guard Gerald Fitch.


Dec 14: Charlotte acquires Nazr Mohammed from Detroit in exchange for Primoz Brezec and Walter Herrmann.
Feb 21: Detroit acquires Juan Dixon and cash considerations from Toronto in exchange for Primoz Brezec.


Feb 22: Detroit waives Flip Murray.


Mar 4: Detroit signs Theo Ratliff.

[Levenspiel]

From Pistons' official page: Link

Pistons clean out lockers and wonder who’s going, staying

Splitting Up


by Keith Langlois

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Chauncey Billups wants to be back. So does Antonio McDyess. Ditto for Flip Murray. And maybe even for Dale Davis.

The Pistons cleaned out their lockers on Monday – well, all but Rip Hamilton and Chris Webber, who didn’t show for the usual day-after meeting, which is informal and not mandatory – but won’t so easily leave another near-miss season behind them after the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers advance to the NBA Finals by overcoming a 2-0 deficit to sweep four straight games.
The sting was still in their words and the disappointment dominated their thoughts, but soon it will be sharing space with curiosity and doubt about what the future might hold for many of them.


“There’s always the possibility of a lot of things happening, always,” said Billups, who will opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent on July 1, hopeful of finishing his career with the Pistons but mindful of that fact that other teams might set his value high enough to make Joe Dumars squirm at matching or exceeding the offer – as happened a year when Chicago broke the bank for Ben Wallace.


“You come up a little short two years in a row, but we’re an elite team, we’re still an elite team,” he said, several times during his three-minute conversation reiterating his desire to stay with the Pistons. “We got to a point every year since I’ve been here where there’s only four teams playing, conference finals, so we’ve had some great years and we can have some more good years.”


Dumars has maintained since training camp that securing Billups’ future with the Pistons will be his foremost off-season task. But it won’t be the only one. Webber will also become a free agent and the Pistons don’t hold his “Bird rights,” which means they can’t exceed the salary cap to sign him. Webber might also choose to retire.


Antonio McDyess, like Billups, can opt out of the final year of his contract. Chances are McDyess will return to the Pistons. He said at mid-season when a proposed trade with Toronto was on the table that he would have strongly considered immediate retirement rather than leave the Pistons. It’s likely that the Pistons and McDyess will agree to a deal that keeps him here for two more seasons, perhaps three.


Andy Miller, the agent for both Billups and McDyess, stopped by the team’s practice facility shortly after noon on Monday and left about 30 minutes later with Billups. But he didn’t engage Dumars in contract talks; Miller said he was in town on the expectation that there would be a Game 7 and took the opportunity to visit his clients.


McDyess, who wears his heart on his sleeve like no other Piston, took elimination very hard.
“I’m embarrassed to show my face,” he said. “I felt we had the best chance to get to where we wanted to be this year and it didn’t come out that way. My career is at the end and I felt this was the time and that if it didn’t happen this year it’s not going to happen. We came up, both years, short at the same point. It’s like we try to fight back from down in a series, we can’t do it anymore. I don’t know what’s going to happen next year.
“We’re still a good team. We just lose focus. Whether we need some help or what, we just need to get back to where we need to be.”


Asked if changes needed to be made or if the Pistons could bring the same team back next year, McDyess said, “You can, but if we come back with the same mentality, it ain’t going to work. But if we come back with a different mentality, ready to work and ready to win, we’ll be OK. Getting down in a series, we would stay positive, but it wasn’t there.”


Murray, who signed a two-year contract last summer with a player option for the second year, said he is intent on returning to the Pistons next season despite falling out of the rotation in January.


Davis, a 16-year veteran who signed with the Pistons two summers ago, had indicated he would seriously ponder retirement, but Monday said he would “probably, more than likely, definitely play. I still feel like I can help contribute to this game and help a team win. I’m still short of that goal of winning a championship, as well. I look to be back in action.”


Asked if he would consider re-signing with the Pistons, Davis hesitated and said, “It’s not out of the question, but I want to get in a situation that’s comfortable for me and somewhere I can contribute. If that’s here, that’s definitely a possibility.”

[Kings]

Flip Saunders

[Lebron23]

Pistons fire coach Flip Saunders

16 minutes ago


AUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN (TICKER) —Despite coaching the Detroit Pistons to the Eastern Conference finals each of the last three seasons, Flip Saunders is out of a job.

The Pistons fired Saunders on Tuesday, four days after the Pistons were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.

Saunders, 53, had one year remaining on the four-year contract he signed with Detroit in June 2005.

But Pistons president Joe Dumars decided it was time to cut ties with Saunders, who posted a 176-70 regular-season record in his three seasons with Detroit.

“Decisions like this are difficult to make, especially with the success we have had throughout the last three regular seasons,” Dumars said in a statement. “However, at this time, I feel it is necessary to make a change.

“I thank Flip for his hard work and dedication, but it is time for a new voice to lead our team.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...v=st&type=lgns

[mvblair]

Saunders is a good coach. I'd be happy to have him in Cleveland.

It's not his fault exactly that the Pistons lost. It's his fault, Rasheed's and a few other players. Honestly though, I can understand why he was fired. Saunders had chances to win, the Pistons lost, and now the Pistons want to change. This won't be their only change over the summer.

[damelo]

The Pistons stars need a real coach, not a player's coach. they need a guy who direct them more, like Brown did. Because, he had them play in a really structured way, they didn't like it, but it worked.

[RS20203]

The Pistons stars need a real coach, not a player's coach. they need a guy who direct them more, like Brown did. Because, he had them play in a really structured way, they didn't like it, but it worked.

I agree

[Straight_Shooter]

The Pistons stars need a real coach, not a player's coach. they need a guy who direct them more, like Brown did. Because, he had them play in a really structured way, they didn't like it, but it worked.

Exactly. The Pistons have been and are a "blue collar team." They need a coach that is going to push them in the same direction Brown did the year they won the ship. Unselfish, team & defensive first basketball.

[LordOfLeyte]

On the Piston's reconstruction in this new decade, the architect will be Joe Dumars.

[CKR13]

It has began with the recent NBA Draft 2010

Pistons select Greg Monroe, for holding down the middle with defense (definitely better than Kwame)

then selected Terrico White, could add to the scoring load of the Pistons.

[CKR13]

The following statement was released this evening by President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars.

"In response to today's media reports regarding the New Jersey Nets, I can say that I do not have any interest in a basketball operations position with the Nets. My priority is to continue leading the Pistons' basketball operations efforts and putting together a team that is ready to compete and get back on track next season."

This assures the Pistons fan that the man responsible for constructing the core of the 2004 Championship squad is not going anywhere, despite offers from New Jersey.

[CKR13]

Pistons have signed Greg Monroe. Monroe was drafted by Detroit with the seventh overall selection in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-11 forward from Georgetown University averaged 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks in 34 games as a sophomore for the Hoyas. The New Orleans, LA native was named to the Big East All-Tournament team after averaging 19.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists on .545 shooting from the floor while leading the Hoyas to the championship game. Monroe recorded 14 double-doubles last season (13 points/rebounds and one points/assists) and led the team in scoring 13 times, rebounding 30 times and assists 15 times. He scored a career-high 29 points and tied career-high 16 rebounds at Villanova (1/17/10). His career-high 12 assists at Providence (2/9/10) were the most by a center in Big East history.

[CKR13]

With his hard work and hustle on rebounds, he's a perfect fit to what the Piston's franchise is based upon. I think his best game was his 20 point game on 9-9 shooting, adding 8 boards and 2 blocks. Though he had games where he had double digits in scoring and rebounds.

[CKR13]

Austin Daye is improving. 6'9 Tayshaun Prince has a 6'10 back-up.

[CKR13]

Nice to see Ben Wallace back. He should really end his career as a Piston. I just want him to don his number 3 for old times sake.

[mayfel]

Nice to see Ben Wallace back. He should really end his career as a Piston. I just want him to don his number 3 for old times sake.

the question will be stuckey giving up the number 3 jersey?? even a.i wore jersey number 1 because 3 was occupied by stuckey

[durden_tyler]

Isn't the Pistons franchise for sale? Sad to see such a franchise rich in tradition go. Hopefully, the possible sale is just a rumor.

[CKR13]

Will Bynum and Joe Dumars have started negotiating a long term contract. If negotiations proceed smoothly, Bynum could be signed next week.

[CKR13]

Pistons re-sign guard Will Bynum for three years worth $10.5 Million.

[CKR13]

The 1988-1989 Detroit Pistons Squad landed second on the Sport Illustrated's Most Hated Teams.

The projected 2010-2011 Miami Heat landed 25th.