How will the Detroit Pistons remake their roster?

Sure, the NBA is likely headed for a lockout, but that does not mean teams are not trying to figure out what to do to improve their performance. For the Detroit Pistons big changes are ahead. This team wallowed in misery for over a year while awaiting new ownership to come in. That ownership has arrived, they have fired their coach and they are working to hire a new one. Now General Manger Joe Dumars must work to retool his roster. The additions of PG Brandon Knight, SF Kyle Singler, and PF Vernon Macklin via the NBA draft was just the beginning. Now some remnants of the great early 2000’s Pistons teams will be shown the door.

There seems to be little doubt that Tayshaun Prince, who is a free agent, will not be resigned. They now have several other younger forwards ready to take his spot. If there is a lockout (and that seems pretty likely at this point), it would seem likely that when the NBA gets back to business each team would be allowed to buy out one toxic contract without salary cap interference. That means the Pistons could dump a contract that is no longer working for them.

If that happens, there are several candidates on the roster. Rip Hamilton has been a locker room cancer and is owed 21 million dollars over the next two seasons guaranteed. However, with the addition of Knight the Pistons may choose to dump Ben Gordon’s deal. He is owed 33 million dollars over the next three years, and no longer seems to have a spot on the roster.

If the 2011-12 NBA season is shortened by labor unrest Rip’s deal becomes more valuable on the trade market. Dumars could win a lot of goodwill with the fans and new ownership if he got something for him. Gordon, with the addition of Knight and the belief Rodney Stuckey will evolve under a new coach, becomes more expendable and expensive. Either way the Pistons have a lot of roster work to do.