A not-so-long time ago Detroit GM Joe Dumars took some gambles and won big time, building a championship team.  The team he built was different from almost every other championship team of the past 20 years - those teams were built on amazingly talented, once a generation stars acquired via the draft:  Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan.  Only the 2000's Lakers teams, the one built via the trades for Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant (who, remember, did not want to play for Charlotte who drafted him) stands as the example of a team built by shrewd moves, and not just luck at winning the lottery in the right year. 

And the 2004 Detroit Pistons.  They were built on shrewd trades - Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace, a great, but risky, free agent signing - Chauncey Billups, one great late round draft pick - Tayshaun Prince, and one supremely risky trade that paid off - Rasheed Wallace.  Joe Dumars looked like a genius, and rightfully so.

Now, three years later, what has he done since?  Well, we all know about the Darko pick - instead of selecting Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, or even Josh Howard, he rolled the dice with Darko Milicic, and that gamble did not pay off.  Since then everything else seems to be coming off poorly, too... he rolled the dice in letting Larry Brown go, and hiring Flip Saunders, a man with a history of playoff failures in his previous coaching stint.  The result as been getting knocked out of the playoffs the last two years by teams that were inferior (at least according to the team's records).  In both series I personally attribute a lot of the blame to the coaching, and the failure to make the right adjustments.  But who cares what I think.

Today Joe Dumars traded Carlos Delfino to the Toronto Raptors for two 2nd round picks - one in 2009, one in 2011.   Before we go any further, you tell me:  Who do you think is going to win this trade - Joe Dumars, who hasn't made a good decision in almost five years now, or Bryan Colangelo, last year's NBA Executive of the Year?  Indeed.

According to Doug Smith, "Delfino was deemed expendable by the Pistons because they have to clear financial room to re-sign free agent guard Chauncey Billups and perhaps take a run at other players." 

If the Pistons do make a run at another player, this might make sense.  If it is just to re-sign Billups, then I'm confused.  The Pistons could re-sign Billups without having to "free up" Delfino's $1.8 million salary.  This trade yields nothing else for the Pistons - the players they'll get in 2009 and 2011 are insignificant.  They'll be mid to late 2nd round picks, perhaps as high as mid-50's, which is generally considered practice squad players.  The picks have no value.   This was pure salary dumping.

Did Dumars dump him because Delfino asked to be traded?  According to the Detroit Free Press: "Dumars declined further comment on the deal, including whether Delfino asked for a trade.  Dumars has a track record of accommodating players who want to be moved.  Andy Miller, Delfino's agent, visited the team's practice facility two days after the season ended."

The Pistons must be targeting a perimeter shooter in the draft with their #15 pick now.  There are lots of them available this draft, so that's good.  Rumor was that the Pistons had verbally committed to drafting Rodney Stuckey... hope not, because they need a more reliable perimeter player than Stuckey to replace Delfino (himself also unreliable from the perimeter - 41.5 FG% this season - but more of an athletic off-the-bench offensive player). 

So who might the Pistons be looking to use that salary for?  Well, since this brings them to about $50 million for next season, or about $10 million under the cap (not including whatever it costs to re-sign Billups), my guess (and the rumors) are that they might go after Grant Hill.  Would that really surprise anyone?  The Pistons seem to like players who were once stars, but now way past their prime and chasing the elusive title... guys like Chris Webber, Antonio McDyess, Dale Davis, and now maybe Grant Hill. 

I, for one, am pissed that the Raptors are getting Delfino instead of my team.  Carlos Delfino is a talented player who has yet to reach his potential, but can really spark a team coming off the bench.  In Toronto in fact he might even fill the SG slot, since they kinda have a hole there (unless the Raptors want to start TJ Ford and Jose Calderon at the same time).  I can definitely picture Delfino taking Anthony Parker's starting spot.

"He (Delfino) hasn't been the guy everyone thought he would be so far but he's going to be a good fit for our system," said Colangelo.

He sure will.  And he cost next to nothing in both trade value (two future #2's... from a playoff team?!?) nor nothing in salary cap ramifications ($1.8 million next season, qualifying option of $2.5 million the year after if the Raptors want to keep him).  Bryan Colangelo just made a tremendous move, one which I might be willing to wager will end up being one of the best five moves made this offseason, and you have to wonder why Dumars made this move, especially given Detroit's lack of bench depth... Guess we should expect one more season of Lindsay Hunter in a Pistons' uniform....

Editor's Note:  Just read the reaction over at Detroit Bad Boys website... this comment from "Robbie" sums up my feelings about Joe Dumars - he made some great moves at the beginning, but he's struck out a lot.  And while most of the names on this list are insignificant, some are huge: drafting Darko, letting Mehmet Okur go, letting Bobby Simmons go, not getting a capable backup for Billups (too many minutes, especially in the playoffs), losing Mike James (there is your capable backup):

RobbieJun 16th, 2007 at 1:46 am

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