PISTONS: Pistons Mailbag

Pistons.com editor Keith Langlois answers your questions about the Pistons and NBA. Click here to submit your questions - please include your name, email address and city/state on the form.

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THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2008

It wasn’t the snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night … it was the Tracy McGrady rumors! After delivering Mailbag faithfully twice every week since the starting of the October 2006 training camp, we’re taking a one-week hiatus. The next Mailbag will be posted on August 4.

Mike (Los Angeles): How long does a team retain the rights to a drafted player before they have to sign him or lose him and how can a team retain the rights to a player they send overseas?

Langlois: For the first part of your question, Mike, it depends where the player was drafted. First-year picks have guaranteed deals for two years. But the team that drafted the player can ensure his rights for the third year by extending him a qualifying offer by Oct. 31 of the start of his second season and, likewise, can do the same thing the following year to ensure his rights for the fourth year. (Golden State did not exercise the option on Patrick O’Bryant last October, for instance, which made him a free agent who signed with Boston recently.) If a team exercises both options, then after the player’s fourth year he can become a restricted free agent. That’s where the Pistons are at now with Jason Maxiell, entering his fourth season. They probably will negotiate a contract extension at some point, but if not Maxiell would play in 2009-10 for roughly $2.8 million and then become an unrestricted free agent. That’s also where several NBA players entering their fourth seasons are at – Emeka Okafor, Andre Igoudala, Ben Gordon, Josh Smith and Josh Childress, who just signed to play in Europe. They’re restricted free agents this summer, but if they come back for a fifth season on the qualifying offers, then they become unrestricted free agents next summer. There are no rules for second-round picks. Teams can sign them for however long they choose. It used to be that when that first contract expired, second-rounders would become unrestricted free agents and, unless they had been with the team for three years or longer, the team would not have that player’s Bird rights and, therefore, could not exceed the salary cap to sign him. That’s how Golden State and the Pistons, for two relevant examples, lost Gilbert Arenas and Mehmet Okur after their second seasons. Teams that had sufficient cap space could sign them to offer sheets that their teams did not have the ability to match if they were over the salary cap. That loophole was closed in the collective bargaining agreement struck in 2005. That’s why Amir Johnson became a restricted free agent in 2007, as opposed to unrestricted. The Pistons will face a similar situation after the coming season with Cheikh Samb. An NBA team will continue to hold rights to a player who plays internationally for as long as it chooses to do so. In effect, the clock stops ticking when a player goes elsewhere. That’s why the threats of disgruntled Cleveland players Sasha Vujacic and Anderson Varejao to play overseas didn’t give them much leverage last fall. They would have been facing the same situation had they come back to the NBA this fall. Whenever Childress decides to return to the NBA, he will again be a restricted free agent and Atlanta will have the right to match offers.

Renae (Atlanta, Ga.): Does Joe Dumars listen to and consider feedback and input on trades, player movement, etc., from fans? If so, I have an earful for him.

Langlois: You and a few million others on every continent, Renae. While he appreciates the interest in and passion for the Pistons, he has to trust his own judgment and those of the people he hires to advise him. Those people devote their entire professional lives to watching hundreds of games and viewing thousands of hours of tape every year to evaluate personnel. They poke around on their own to learn as much as they can about what players are like off the court and in the locker room to build a catalog of information they bring to the table with them every day as they discuss possible personnel moves internally and explore them externally. Fans are armed with a fraction of that knowledge. There’s also the reality of the collective bargaining agreement and the salary cap that go a long way toward dictating personnel moves, the intricacies of which elude the vast majority of fans. So, bottom line, any NBA general manager or president who puts much stock in fans’ wishes on trade issues isn’t destined to keep his job for long.

Josh (Chicago): T-Mac? No, please not T-Mac! This is one trade rumor that will not go away. But it should. An injury-prone, egomaniacal superstar will not bring the Pistons to the championship. Not to mention that as far as superstar swingmen go, T-Mac is probably only the third or fourth best in the league. Giving away both Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince is way too much for T-Mac.

Langlois: It’s been about two weeks since the McGrady rumor surfaced and about 13 days since sources in both cities flatly denied anything was imminent. It won’t go away only because fans keep reacting to the original story, which came out of Toronto and never appeared to have a very solid foundation. Toronto? Why? Because McGrady began his NBA career there 11 years ago and there’s probably someone there who knows someone who once knew his agent? The two sides talked in June, it appears, but that’s one of many conversations Joe Dumars has had since the season ended – and he would have had a number of exploratory conversations even if he hadn’t publicly declared his intention to shake up the roster. Is it possible the Pistons and Houston talk again? Sure. It’s even possible something eventually gets done. But, as of now, it’s no more likely than a dozen other scenarios.

Rik (Pasadena, Calif.): Why not try a sign-and-trade for Andre Igoudala? He’s exactly what the Pistons need – a big, scoring small forward who can guard guys like Pierce, James and Marion and take pressure off of the older guys like Rip or Billups.

Langlois: The way Philly’s lineup shapes up, I think Igoudala is destined to spend most of his minutes at shooting guard next season with Thaddeus Young sliding to his natural small forward position to make room for Elton Brand at power forward. It’s possible Philly could be persuaded to do a sign-and-trade for Igoudala, who turned down a $57 million contract extension before last season began. What would it cost the Pistons? Given the hole at shooting guard, Philly would probably ask for Rip Hamilton. Do you still like the prospect of adding Igoudala?

Ma’ayan (Natanya, Israel): Do you think Walter Sharpe is good enough to be a backup for Tayshaun Prince?

Langlois: I think Sharpe showed enough in Las Vegas that the Pistons won’t be forced into any desperate bids to land a veteran at that position. I don’t know that they’d want to commit to Sharpe as the clear No. 2 backup to Prince just yet, but Sharpe showed that his limited background might mean his learning curve will be accelerated as he adapts to the pace of the NBA game. He’s very skilled and his size gives him matchup advantages at that position. It would probably be unreasonable to expect Sharpe to be able to defend scoring small forwards at this point, but who knows where he’ll be by next February?

Cedric (Detroit): I propose two trades. The first is the one that’s been talked about – Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince for Tracy McGrady. The second is Rasheed Wallace for Zach Randolph, which would give us the low-post presence we need.

Langlois: Donnie Walsh would propel a rickshaw himself from New York to deliver Zach Randolph if it meant getting the $48 million remaining over the next three seasons on Randolph’s contract off the books. Randolph is viewed very skeptically around the league – tremendous talent, but not regarded as a guy with a burning desire to win and seen as a negative locker-room influence. Dumars generally prefers guys who have check marks in all three of those categories, not just one. That said, a lineup of Stuckey, McGrady, Hamilton, Randolph and McDyess would be potent offensively, less so defensively. The Knicks would definitely need to sweeten the deal with draft picks. I think Walsh is more inclined to hang on to Randolph this year and deal him next summer – or at the February trade deadline – when his contract will only have two years to run and not be quite the albatross it is today.

Fredrick (Detroit): If the Tracy McGrady trade were to happen, it would take both Detroit and Houston back a step. McGrady has been injury prone and Detroit can’t afford injuries and Houston would lose a star player they need because Yao can’t lead a team by himself.

Langlois: If the trade were to involve just the three players mentioned most prominently – McGrady on Houston’s side, Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups’ on Detroit’s – then I’d be pretty surprised if the Rockets wouldn’t be extremely tempted to act. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be a worthwhile gamble on Detroit’s part, but the risk would be more on Detroit than on Houston. The Rockets would be getting two extremely durable stars in exchange for a player with a spotty health record. They’d also be getting two players with enormous playoff experience, the value of which is hard to overstate in a Western Conference field where every edge must be considered.

Ben (Plumpton, Australia): T-Mac said he would like to go to Detroit. Why are we not doing anything about it?

Langlois: He said Detroit would be an acceptable destination if the Rockets decided to move him, but he’s Houston’s property. There’s not a lot the Pistons can do beyond talk to Rockets management, which they’ve admitted has taken place.

Tony (Sterling Heights, Mich.): With the recent free-agent signings by teams like the Clippers and 76ers, what is the likelihood the Pistons can make a serious push to acquire Josh Smith via a sign-and-trade agreement with the Hawks?

Langlois: Don’t know. Things are very unclear in Atlanta. They have a new GM in Rick Sund who spent one year in a quasi-mentoring role for Joe Dumars before Joe D took over as Pistons president in June 2000, but Sund’s hands might be tied in doing long-term deals that commit major money by an uncertain ownership situation. It’s conceivable the Hawks would be tempted by a deal involving Rasheed Wallace, whose contract comes off the books after next season. But Wallace remains a very key piece of the puzzle for the Pistons, too, for his defense and tremendous all-around feel for the game. Even though Smith’s future is tantalizing, the Pistons would have to weigh that deal very carefully for what it might mean for their chances at competing for titles in the near future. The fact Atlanta has been stunned and embarrassed by Childress’ departure for Europe increases pressure on team management to either keep and appease Smith or get something impressive in return.

Angelo (Malm, Sweden): I was searching player stats on NBA.com and found that the Pistons last season were not only the best defensive team for 3-pointers but also, more surprisingly to me, the team with the most blocked shots per game. Without a big man like Dwight Howard or Marcus Camby, that’s a very impressive result. The only explanation is that, besides the contributions of young players like Maxiell and Johnson, the perimeter players have done a very good defensive job and allowed the big men to close paths to the basket.

Langlois: Well, close. The Pistons were actually third in the league in blocked shots behind Denver and Phoenix and second in the league in 3-point percentage defense behind Boston. The Pistons were essentially in a tie for first with Dallas for 3-point baskets given up per game, the Pistons giving up 4.99 per game and the Mavs 4.98. Only Dallas and Houston had fewer 3-point attempts taken against them than the Pistons. It kind of puts the lie to the stream of fan complains about the Pistons’ defense since Larry Brown and Ben Wallace left, doesn’t it?

Joel (Calgary, Alberta): The Pistons should sign a decent defensive small forward who would be willing to come off the bench. That seems like all we need to get through the playoffs against teams with a good small forward. With our veterans and developing bench, a championship would almost be inevitable.

Langlois: I think teams that do business in the Eastern Conference have to be cognizant of LeBron James’ presence. Not that the Cavs are the measuring stick, but James is such a force that unless you have multiple defensive options, your team is going to be vulnerable against Cleveland in the playoffs. But there are a lot of elements that must be in place before a championship becomes “inevitable.” And I’m not sure there was anyone out there in free agency so defensively proficient that he would have given Joe Dumars and Michael Curry restful nights thinking they had the likes of James, Paul Pierce and Andre Igoudala solved.

Marcus (Richmond, Va.): Do you think the Pistons have any shot at a sign and trade for Josh Smith? If so, I think the Pistons should give up Tayshaun Prince, Amir Johnson and draft picks. What do you think?

Langlois: They’d have more than a shot if they brought that offer to the table, Marcus. Joe Dumars would have to swallow awfully hard to part not only with Prince but Amir Johnson, too – never mind the draft picks. But there’s another equally important element to the deal – how big will the contract be? Five years and $50 million is one thing, but five years and $80 million is another.

Jesse (Livonia, Mich.): There have been recent rumors about the Pistons’ interest in Josh Smith. If a sign and trade might not be possible, could the Pistons sign him to their full mid-level exception of approximately $6 million and backloading the contract so it averages the $10 million to $12 million a year he’s looking for?

Langlois: No. Can’t do it that way. Raises are limited to 8 percent per year if a team signs someone else’s free agent and 10.5 percent per year for their own free agents. So if the Pistons signed Smith for the full mid-level exception – because he’d be another team’s free agent – he’d get a five-year deal for a little less than $33 million. But even if Smith were inclined to accept a contract that understates his value by half, roughly, the Pistons still wouldn’t get him. Because Atlanta would be thrilled to match that offer and retain him at below-market rates. It would be crazy for Smith to do that. The worst-case scenario for Smith is to sign Atlanta’s one-year qualifying offer, play out next season for roughly $3.2 million and then become an unrestricted free agent next summer at 23, when some team might be inclined to throw a maximum contract at him.

Jake (Atlanta): I’ve been reading your blog and message boards and I’m really confused why fans think Josh Smith would be worth Tayshaun Prince and Jason Maxiell or Amir Johnson. Smith is an amazing athlete but really lacks polish. He is turnover prone and can kill offensive flow with terrible shot selection. Smith was great against Boston in the playoffs but I question whether he could maintain that intensity for two, three or four playoff series, let alone two, three or four years. Prince is an Olympian, for goodness sake. While your readers probably wouldn’t believe it, I don’t think there’s a team in the league that wouldn’t salivate to get Prince and the various things he brings to the court.

Langlois: Your comments take me to a larger point, Jake. If you could erase the memory of the Cleveland 2007 series and, to a lesser degree, the Boston 2008 series, Prince would be wildly celebrated by Pistons fans. Given a tough role – always asked to guard elite scorers and only occasionally used as a primary scoring option – he’s thrived to the point where he’s on the fringe of All-Star status. But because he’s had unprecedented playoff exposure – no one’s played more postseason games in his first six seasons on NBA history – his imperfections are more widely known than most. A player like Smith – young, unbelievably athletic, big numbers on his resume – whom fans see a couple of times a year doesn’t have those warts revealed. To get a full understanding of Smith, fans would need to watch in detail every game he played over the course of a month or so. Most Pistons fans know Josh Smith from the spectacular dunks and blocks that show up on the top 10 plays on “SportsCenter.” They don’t see the bad shots and effort and concentration lapses that have the Hawks privately wondering just how high they’re willing to go should Smith bring back an imposing contract offer as a restricted free agent. Thanks for the reality check as an Atlantan, Jake.

Kevin (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.): I’ve heard rumors that Theo Ratliff and Lindsey Hunter are both thinking about returning for one more season. I think that would be fantastic because they’re both difference makers at the defensive end for short stretches. With Will Bynum being singed, though, does that make Lindsey’s return unlikely? I sure hope both of those guys are Pistons for one final season.

Langlois: I think it’s more likely than not that both players return, Kevin, but I don’t think either one has come to an ironclad decision just yet. And the Pistons are OK with that. It gives them roster flexibility in case something else develops and it makes it more certain that those players will reach the right decision if they let it play out until closer to training camp to see what their bodies and spirits are telling them about another year’s commitment. I don’t believe Hunter’s decision will have much, if any, bearing on Bynum’s chances to stick, or Bynum’s signing, if it occurs, will have a significant impact on Hunter’s decision. The Pistons will use Hunter, if he returns, much as they used him last year – meaning he’ll be inactive most nights, but there as an insurance policy and a potent defensive weapon for the postseason. I would also expect that Ratliff will be used more selectively this year with Amir Johnson likely clearly jumping ahead of him into the No. 4 spot in the big man rotation, or even challenging Jason Maxiell at No. 3. It’s even possible Cheikh Samb noses his way into the No. 5 spot intermittently.

Mark (Dewitt, Mich.): With all the talk about free agency and trades, I haven’t heard anything about Antonio McDyess.

Langlois: Not much to hear, Mark. McDyess has two years left on his contract, has said he would seriously consider retirement rather than starting over in another city and is appreciated by management. It’s very unlikely McDyess would be traded.

Byron (Detroit): I was just wondering if we could get Josh Childress without having to give up any of the five starters. He would be a great fit backing up Tayshaun Prince along with Walter Sharpe.

Langlois: Childress is a restricted free agent who just signed to play in Europe. The Pistons could only have offered him the mid-level exception and then hoped Atlanta didn’t match, but if you’re going to give somebody that kind of money – five years and about $33 million – the economics of the game pretty much demand that he be a starter. You can’t commit that type of contract to a player who isn’t going to play 30 minutes a game – and unless the Pistons have another move certain to drop that would clear space for him, they just wouldn’t have had the 30 minutes a game for Childress.

Alec (Detroit): You said in the previous Mailbag that you don’t think teams number their scoring options. It seems to me some consideration has to go to scoring options when teams are put together. If, for example, the Pistons traded Tayshaun Prince for a more established scorer, wouldn’t Joe Dumars have to consider that one or more of his established players, maybe Hamilton or Billups, would get fewer shots to accommodate the new scorer and find the best balance?

Langlois: I meant that nobody sits down and actually designates somebody as first scoring option, second scoring option, etc. It develops as players’ abilities reveal themselves and then the playbook evolves to take advantage of those abilities. If Tayshaun Prince had spent the first six years of his career playing elsewhere, chances are he would be that “more established scorer” you’re talking about. In games where the Pistons were missing one of their other starters last year, Prince’s offensive numbers were markedly improved from games in which all five starters were in the lineup. Now, if the Pistons were to stick LeBron James into the lineup at small forward, I would expect he’d be their leading scorer and the playbook would be altered to make sure the ball was in his hands on 95 percent of possessions.

MONDAY, JULY 21, 2008
Bingo (Detroit): What’s the status of Rodney Stuckey’s injury and do you think he’ll return this summer?

Langlois: He told me last week that there was just some mild discomfort in his big toe. He still anticipates going to camp this week with the U.S. Select team.

Jasnoor (Sterling Heights, Mich.): Do you think the Pistons have any shot at signing Eddie House? And which of the Pistons’ trade rumors have the best chance of being completed?

Langlois: Eddie House is more than likely headed for a veteran’s minimum contract with somebody, though it’s possible he could convince someone to cough up something closer to the biannual exception, which is for roughly $2 million. I don’t see where he fits with the Pistons at present. When a team’s top four guards are Billups, Hamilton, Stuckey and Afflalo, that doesn’t leave a lot of room and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to invest any precious payroll dollars in further backcourt help. If the Pistons sign another guard, it will be someone capable of playing point guard – as the Celtics learned last year, House is not a point guard – and defending. That’s why they’re intrigued by Will Bynum, who showed the ability to play harassing defense and handle the point in Summer League. As for trades, it would be unwieldy to list the possibilities. There are a million of them and they change, expanding or contracting, with every other roster move that’s made by other teams.

Ron (Chicago): Do the Pistons plan on keeping Juan Dixon?

Langlois: He’s an unrestricted free agent who probably will find a better opportunity elsewhere. Dixon might have to take a one-year offer from a team without a proven backup guard – he can play either position – and hope that he plays well enough next season to coax a multiyear contract out of somebody. The Pistons like him well enough, but he’d be no better than No. 3 at either guard spot for them – and you don’t offer No. 3 guards more than a minimum deal.

Lee (Durham, N.C.): The Pistons really need a center and Kwame Brown is just what Detroit needs. Trading your core is not necessary. The starting five should be Kwame, Rasheed, Tayshaun, Rip and Chauncey. I know Kwame hasn’t worked out yet, but he’s the right fit for Detroit.

Langlois: He’s 25 with terrific size and above average athleticism. It hasn’t translated to production, for whatever reason. Even with his disappointing track record, I’m surprised somebody hasn’t gone after him in free agency so far. I mean, when DeSagana Diop gets a full mid-level deal, Kwame should be attracting something close to that. So somebody has a chance to pick up a pretty solid player – though I don’t know how you would project him as a starter at this point – with some upside at a reasonable price.

Matt (Redford, Mich.): I was listening to the radio the other day and I heard the most realistic trade on the board for the Pistons is Tayshaun Prince and draft picks for Josh Smith. I think that’s a pretty good move, although if that goes through you know Smith isn’t going to be the fourth scoring option as Prince was. So who would become the fourth scoring option? Billups?

Langlois: I don’t think any team numbers their scoring options. That’s something that develops based on chemistry and productivity. And with all due respect to talk radio, some of the trade proposals I’ve heard there don’t make sense on any number of levels – impossible to do given the salary cap’s constraints or merely illogical. I think Josh Smith is an unbelievable talent and of course any team would want him – at the right price, meaning what you’d give up in trade and how much it would cost to sign him. I’d love Josh Smith at a reasonable salary, but if you start him off at about $12 million a year – which is about what the guesses on a contract offer that would give the Hawks pause whether to match or not – it would grow to about $18 million a year by the end of the contract. He’d be collecting nearly 25 percent of the salary cap number by then. I don’t know if I love him so much at that point. The other thing about that deal: Who plays small forward? Smith really hasn’t shown that ability in Atlanta. He’s not a polished player, which wouldn’t be a concern in someone so young except there are questions about his coachability. He’s clashed with Mike Woodson, who has a pretty easygoing reputation. A lot of folks think the Hawks are perfectly willing to do a sign-and-trade deal for Smith, which makes you wonder.

Josh (Chicago): Count me among the unbelievers when it comes to the Pistons’ young core. I watched the full video recap of a couple of their Summer League games and was unimpressed. Afflalo went 1 of 13. Sure they might have intangibles, but that doesn’t seem to translate into winning many games.

Langlois: Afflalo was terrific up until the fourth game when he struggled with his shot. The best basketball I saw in Vegas came when the Pistons held a scrimmage with Philadelphia and Rodney Stuckey and Afflalo were both terrific, each missing one shot. Then Afflalo hit 8 of 10 and all nine of his foul shots in a win over the Clippers, scoring 19 in the second half when Stuckey sat with his toe injury. Wins and losses aren’t insignificant, but they sure aren’t the most important thing about Summer League.

Scott (Orion Township, Mich.): Besides the starters, who has impressed or surprised you most on the Summer League team? Besides players currently under contract, who has a chance to make the 15-man roster this fall?

Langlois: The only player not under contract who has a chance to stick is Will Bynum. The Pistons really like his fearlessness and his understanding of the situation. Even though Bynum has always been a flat-out scorer, he knows that his niche with the Pistons would be coming off the bench with defensive energy and doing his best to get the team into their offense. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Bynum goes to camp with the Pistons on a make-good basis, though he has an attractive offer to play in Italy. Walter Sharpe was impressive in Las Vegas, not so much for his production as for his potential. You see very quickly in Sharpe someone with tantalizing offensive skills. His ballhandling, passing and size give him a shot to be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams.

Logan (Monroe, Mich.): I’d like to know anything about the Tracy McGrady rumors. The Pistons are a defense-first team that lacks a go-to scorer. T-Mac could provide offense as both a scorer and a facilitator.

Langlois: It’s been acknowledged that the two sides talked but all indications are that nothing is imminent. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen three or four weeks down the road when teams have picked over the free agents and look at their rosters and those of their competitors. Joe Dumars is on record as saying he’d like to shake up the Pistons’ chemistry and there is ample reason to believe Houston would be similarly open to change. But the Rockets might see a better fit elsewhere if they decide to move McGrady and the Pistons might find a less splashy but effective way of reshaping the roster without having to commit such a whopping percentage of their payroll to one player.

Jackson (Petoskey, Mich.): I just read on SI.com that Darius Miles is trying to make a comeback. Have the Pistons looked in to working him out? I think he’d be a steal. He’s a big-name player coming back from injury just like Antonio McDyess was when we picked him up.

Langlois: Except that McDyess was an All-Star-caliber player before getting hurt and Miles has never been close to that. To the extent Miles was a useful NBA player before suffering knee injuries serious enough that Portland successfully argued them to be career ending, he was only that because of off-the-charts athleticism. He always lacked even moderate NBA-level basketball skills. Now without that athleticism, I’m not sure what teams would think they’d be getting. And Miles has never turned any heads for being a positive character influence.

Joe (Kalkaska, Mich.): Having been a solid rotation player in addition to helping the Pistons numerous times over the last three years, why has Jason Maxiell not yet received the contract he’s so well earned? I think there would be few people who believe Amir Johnson is worth more to the Pistons than Maxiell at this point and he was given a relatively lucrative contract solely based on potential. Could the Pistons use part of the MLE to extend Maxiell for what he’s earned?

Langlois: No, because Maxiell isn’t a free agent. Maxiell and Johnson were both 2005 draftees. As a No. 1 pick, Maxiell was locked in to a five-year contract with the team having options on the last three of them. The benefit to Maxiell was that the first two years were guaranteed. Johnson, as a second-rounder, had no guaranteed years on the original two-year deal he signed. When that expired after last season, Johnson became a restricted free agent. That gave him leverage, which he parlayed into a three-year deal for roughly $11 million. Maxiell could become a restricted free agent after next season. The Pistons, though, are intent on signing him to a contract extension that would start with the 2009-10 season. One contract that will be potentially useful in determining Maxiell’s market value is the offer sheet Ronny Turiaf signed with Golden State that calls for him to make $17 million over four years.

Hameed (West Bloomfield, Mich.): Will the Pistons have ample cap space in 2010? There are so many good players and I don’t want the Pistons to miss out on signing a great player.

Langlois: As of now, they would be in pretty decent shape, Hameed. They have roughly $24 million in salary committed for the 2010-11 season to four players – Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo. If Rip Hamilton opts out of his contract after next season and works out a long-term deal with the Pistons, he would add another $12 million or so. They also would likely have worked out an extension with Jason Maxiell by then, and Amir Johnson will be a free agent again after the 2010 season. Cheikh Samb is a restricted free agent after next season who likely will get a new contract. And Walter Sharpe is also in the mix. So you’re probably looking at about $50 million or so if the Pistons keep all of those players. If the salary cap ticks up incrementally, as it usually does, that would give the Pistons maybe $12 million in cap room. But, remember, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess will have come off the books by then and it’s possible the Pistons would have invested a hefty sum in replacing at least one of them. So much can change between now and then. The bottom line is that the Pistons could be in position to make a run at one from among the class of 2010’s free agents, but almost every team in the league can say that at this point. Between now and then, however, many of those teams will be forced to commit a lot of money to keep their own free agents or sign somebody else’s, so it’s not very likely that many teams will get to 2010 with the $15 million or so they would need under the salary cap to even begin bidding on players like Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. Any business plan made today that is focused on pirating one of those players away is unsound, to begin with. It wouldn’t be a surprise if James winds up playing for one of the two New York teams, but I’d be a little taken aback if any of the other big-name guys switches teams.

Marco (Southfield, Mich.): I was looking at David West’s 2008 playoff profile and he was really good – 21.2 points and 8.5 rebounds. So are the Pistons interested in him?

Langlois: Interested? Like 28 other teams, they recognize his ability. But New Orleans wouldn’t be interested in giving him up unless you bowled the Hornets over with an offer. Young, productive big men are generally not available in trade unless the other team takes back a superstar. Even if the Pistons were to offer New Orleans, say, Rip Hamilton, who replaces West’s rebounding and frontcourt scoring?

K.C. (Toledo, Ohio): I know you hear many trade proposals, but what do you think of Chauncey and Tayshaun for Tracy McGrady, Luther Head and either Chuck Hayes or Aaron Brooks?

Langlois: It would be within a role player either way of being acceptable to either team, I would think, with one caveat. If the Pistons decide to seriously pursue McGrady, they would have to be convinced of his fundamental soundness of health. Because of McGrady’s long history of back and assorted other issues, any deal for him contains more inherent risk for the team that gets him.

Bryan (Montrose, Mich.): I know Joe Dumars said nobody was safe besides Stuckey, but do you think if the right scenario came around he could be shipped out? Similar to the Tigers and Maybin and Miller?

Langlois: If Cleveland called and offered LeBron James for Stuckey and assorted parts, or Orlando proposed Dwight Howard for Stuckey and others, sure. But it’s so highly unlikely as to make it a non-possibility.

Josh (Ann Arbor, Mich.): Do you think the Pistons even need to make changes? They got beat by the Celtics, who demolished the Lakers in a series where we were in position to win every game on the road. There’s no question the Pistons were the only team in the league that could have beaten Boston. I’d frown at anyone who says the Pistons with this same roster don’t have as good a chance as any other team next year.

Langlois: Las Vegas pretty much agrees with you, Josh. The 2009 favorites, according to the oddsmakers, are the Celtics at 3:1, followed by the Lakers at 7:2 and the Pistons and Spurs at 8:1. If the Pistons don’t make any significant trades – which is a possibility despite Joe Dumars’ desires, because he’s also said he won’t trade just so he can say he delivered on his intention to shake things up – I fully believe that the change to Michael Curry as head coach could be enough by itself to alter the chemistry sufficiently.

Shane (Grand Rapids, Mich.): I would love to see Carmelo Anthony come to Detroit. Is there any chance of that happening?

Langlois: Not if you believe Denver management, which has said it will not trade Anthony.

Jason (Jamestown, N.D.): I saw in the previous Mailbag that the Pistons were worth $6 million in 1974. What are they worth today?

Langlois: According to Forbes magazine, as of last December, the Pistons were worth $477 million, ranking them fourth in the NBA behind the Knicks ($608 million), Lakers ($560 million) and Bulls ($500 million).

Matt (Windsor, Ontario): If we get McGrady from Houston, I think in the same trade we should try to get Yao, too. We’d have to give up a lot, but it would be worth it.

Langlois: When Jack McCloskey took over as Pistons general manager in 1979, he offered his entire roster to the Lakers for Magic Johnson. The Lakers turned him down. I’m not sure how Houston would react if Joe Dumars offered his whole roster for McGrady and Yao – never mind the salary-cap impossibility, for a second – but let’s think about this for a second. If Houston would reject two of the core four starters for McGrady, if you believe the rumors, and it values Yao more than McGrady, then what would it possibly take to get both of them? And what type of team would you be left fielding? Remember, McGrady and Yao together haven’t exactly torn up the Western Conference.

Ryan (Manistee, Mich.): Joe Dumars claimed there would be some big changes, but coming toward the end of July there is no one left now that Tracy McGrady seems out of the picture. I know he didn’t guarantee roster change, but with other teams in the East improving I just don’t see the Pistons having any chance to make it back to the conference finals. Do you think the young guys will be able to step it up and actually give the Pistons a chance this year?

Langlois: See what the Las Vegas oddsmakers above have to say. I just came from Vegas, where every crane in the air building yet another new hotel and casino represents 10 million people who were sure they knew more than those guys. So, yeah, I think the Pistons have a shot to win it all again, and, yeah, I think the young guns will play a significantly bigger role next season than last. But when you say “no one left,” think again. Just because the McGrady rumor made its way into print and then was debunked doesn’t mean that was the only iron Joe D had in the fire. He’s probably got a handful of potential deals in some form of discussion now. That doesn’t mean any of them will come to fruition, but we’ve said all along a trade was more likely to happen later in the summer than earlier.

Greg (Salt Lake City): Most fans are impatient with the lack of activity, but they forget that Joe D has already made a significant change by bringing in Michael Curry as coach. Given the current roster, what sort of playing style or emphasis are we likely to see from Curry?

Langlois: Roster changes aside, Curry was pretty clear and direct when he talked about what he values. He wants a team that gets points in the paint, rebounds and gets to the foul line. He said if you win those three battles, most nights you’ll win the game. Now, points in the paint is a grossly misunderstood category. Most people think “throw the ball in to someone in the low post” when they hear points in the paint. In truth, most points in the paint are scored through dribble penetration that results in getting a defense on the move and opens up passing lanes for cutting players or – and this is equally important – creates rebounding lanes. Tony Parker is consistently one of the league leaders in points in the paint. The “low post” really isn’t in the paint, normally. Players can’t set up there to receive the ball for fear of being whistled for three seconds. Post position usually starts about 10 to 12 feet from the rim. All of that said, yeah, I think you’ll see Curry make more of an attempt to initiate offense out of the post. But the Pistons really don’t have a natural back-to-the-basket post player among their veterans other than Rasheed Wallace, who at 34 isn’t going to be asked to spend a clear majority of his time banging down low.

Brent (Belleville, Mich.): Is it true that Walter Sharpe has narcolepsy? My brother-in-law works for 97.1 FM and he was told Sharpe does.

Langlois: Doesn’t exactly make your brother-in-law a newshound, Brent. It was widely reported on draft night that Sharpe’s narcolepsy was only recently diagnosed. He’s now on medication for it and claims it has done nothing less than turn his life around.

John (Macomb Twp., Mich.): I was a bit puzzled by the interest the Pistons reportedly had in bringing back Carlos Delfino before he signed with a Russian team. He struck me as a pretty marginal player during his tenure here, not someone worth investing a reported three years and $12 million into when the luxury tax is such a pressing concern when he wouldn’t add significant value to the roster over a player like Arron Afflalo.

Langlois: I’ve speculated on the reported Pistons’ interest in Delfino before to this effect: I could see the Pistons interest in bringing Delfino back under the right circumstances because they could have easily convinced themselves that a year away from the organization to let Delfino see what it’s like elsewhere would have been good for him. Even though Delfino had his best year as a pro in Toronto, his role waxed and waned as his play dictated under a stern head coach, Sam Mitchell. Delfino was a little high maintenance in his first tour of duty with the Pistons, but I think the notion that his talent would be recognized elsewhere might have been drummed out of him by the Raptors, who also didn’t give him minutes until he earned them. But their interest in Delfino was in no way a repudiation of Afflalo. They just don’t want to be thrust into a situation where Afflalo is also the No. 1 backup at small forward just yet. He can handle spot minutes there, but he’d be a little undersized against certain small forwards.

Alex (Grand Rapids, Mich.): Has Walter Sharpe extended his range out to the NBA 3-point line since college or has it been in his range? In all of his college games, he didn’t shoot any threes. I was thinking it might be because he was playing out of position at power forward.

Langlois: Sharpe was 0 for 1 from the arc in his first three Las Vegas Summer League games, then made 3 of 4 over the final two games. I wouldn’t expect the 3-point shot to be a major part of his arsenal early in his career, but most young players add a foot or two to their shooting range every year over the first three or four years. The thing with Sharpe is he’s had such little playing experience over the last three years that his learning curve is impossible to predict. He was a high-risk, high-reward type of draft pick – pretty much the exact opposite of Arron Afflalo, taken five spots higher a year earlier. The Pistons knew what they were getting with Afflalo, who might never be a huge stats guy but will almost surely be in the league for a decade or more. Sharpe could be an All-Star or could be a bust – but his Summer League performance was highly encouraging, numbers aside.

Steve (Rochester, Mich.): The Pistons are always one of the top teams in the league during the regular season, then slow down during the playoffs. Is it because the Pistons don’t have a next level? The Celtics played well all season, but there wasn’t another team that gave the Pistons trouble during the year yet everyone did during the playoffs. I wonder if that’s because the players didn’t listen to Flip Saunders, as Chris Webber suggested. Do you think Curry will command respect?

Langlois: The Celtics were taken to seven games in each of the first two rounds, which was completely unexpected. I bring that up to underscore the fact that the playoffs are a different test than the regular season for every team. The Dallas Mavericks found that out the previous season when they were eliminated in the first round by the No. 8 seed after winning 67 games. Webber said he didn’t mean to imply the players ignored Saunders, only that it was a veteran team that wasn’t going to be moved by a rah-rah halftime speech. Yeah, I think the No. 1 asset Curry has going for him right now is a tremendous level of respect for his toughness and his integrity. I think his players know Curry will have a very high expectation level for focus and effort and – more importantly – that he won’t gradually allow his expectations to be compromised, no matter any player’s status.

THURSDAY, July 17
Shamir (Tel Aviv, Israel): The Nuggets just gave Marcus Camby up for basically nothing. I know he’s 34 and has a monster contract to absorb, but don’t you think if the Pistons would have brought him on board they would have instantly become major contenders? Plus, Amir, Jason and Cheikh would have someone to learn from.

Langlois: But the Pistons could not have done the deal that the Clippers made. Because Elton Brand left the Clippers, they were operating well below the salary cap and could absorb Camby’s big contract without having to give up a similar amount in return. The Pistons would have had to have been about $10 million or so under the cap to have been in position to do that deal. A number of other Mailbag questioners wondered if Denver did the Camby deal as a precursor to another trade, perhaps the long-rumored one involving Carmelo Anthony and the Pistons. I think the Camby deal was strictly about getting a big contract off the books. The Nuggets were deep into luxury tax territory last year, meaning that removing a $10 million contract is actually a $20 million savings for Denver – in addition to not having to pay Camby, the Nuggets won’t have to send a matching amount to the league for being above the luxury tax limit.

Kenneth (Washington, D.C.): Amir Johnson has played pretty poorly throughout the Summer League against competition you would expect him to dominate. So how do you see his play translating to the regular season? And the way the Pistons collapsed about the Bucks in the fourth quarter, is that a reflection of Michael Curry’s coaching?

Langlois: He’s not played poorly, Kenneth. He hasn’t put up big numbers, but I’m not sure the Pistons threw the ball to him in the low post and told him to go to work more than once or twice in their first three Summer League games. He was extraordinarily active defensively. New assistant coach Darrell Walker told me that after he saw Johnson for a few days, he told Joe Dumars that Johnson was the type of player who did things defensively that aren’t reflected in the box score, beyond the blocked shots and steals, things like trapping guards and recovering in time to take away passing lanes to his man, harassing the point guard in the backcourt to chew up some of the 24-second clock, getting his hands on loose balls, etc.

James (Canberra, Australia): I’m wondering if Rip Hamilton is almost guaranteed of staying considering Michael Curry said that Arron Afflalo would be the backup shooting guard next year.

Langlois: I wouldn’t read too much into that, James. Curry was just talking from the standpoint of the roster he has at his disposal right now. Curry is perfectly willing to coach whatever roster Joe Dumars gives him when the season rolls around. But his mind-set right now, until told differently, is that he has all hands on deck – Hamilton, Billups, Wallace, McDyess and Prince included. But I’ve said all along that I believe Hamilton is the least likely of the core group to be dealt.

Alex (Grand Rapids, Mich.): What do you think of the idea of the Pistons developing Walter Sharpe as Prince’s backup instead of signing a swing man out of free agency? Are there any legitimate free agents left the Pistons would be interested in? Also, do you think the Tracy McGrady rumor has any legs on it after Stephen A. Smith stated that McGrady told him he had some interest in Detroit?

Langlois: Sharpe has given the Pistons some signs that he might be ready for a limited role as Prince’s backup, but I don’t know if they’d feel confident enough going forward with him as their first option at small forward off the bench. The question will be do they think they can cobble together a backup small forward between Sharpe, Arron Afflalo and somebody else, say, Walter Herrmann, should they re-sign him as a free agent.

Borat (Auburn Hills, Mich.): Do you have any more info on the supposed trade offer of Chauncey Billups for Andris Biedrins? I actually think it would be a good move for Detroit.

Langlois: I think it makes more sense on the surface for Golden State, which is badly in need of a point guard. I don’t buy the line of thinking that Billups wouldn’t be a good fit for Don Nelson’s system. He’s one of the top handful of point guards in the league. If Nelson would reject Billups based on fit for his system, then he really ought to consider tinkering with his system. The Pistons, unless they would have had another move ready to go, wouldn’t seem to have a glaring need for Biedrins, though, I’ll admit, a 22-year-old big man with his ability to affect games with his defense and rebounding would be tempting.

Jessie (Houston): Trent Plaisted has been impressive on the defensive end thus far in the Summer League and seems to have a very high basketball IQ although he has been very quiet on the offensive end. He had a few post moves at BYU. How would you evaluate Trent’s game at the next level?

Langlois: I’m working on a story on Plaisted now, Jessie. I talked to him the other day in Las Vegas and he said he knows he needs to work on his mid-range game. Michael Curry has been effusive in his praise of Plaisted, especially his ability to defend the pick and roll, which has become the single most important play in the NBA – and the single most important play to defend.

Lyndsey (Lake Orion, Mich.): If Joe Dumars is unable to move one of the core players because he can’t get a top player in return, do you think it could create the “chip on their shoulders” mentality in the veterans, who once again might see it as not being “wanted” and go back to trying to prove people wrong?

Langlois: Interesting theory, Lyndsey, but my hunch is they’d see it as Dumars still valuing them highly enough to not want to deal them for what he’s being offered. I suppose if one player knows that a particular team turned down a certain deal, he might want to prove something to that particular team. I don’t put much stock in artificial motivation and that’s what that seems like more than anything.

Jeff (Farmington Hills, Mich.): I know everyone will think I’m an idiot, but I would consider trading for Ron Artest. There has never been a question about his talent and intensity, just his sanity. The night of the brawl – I was there – he was easily the best player on either team. The only question is if he can avoid going psycho. I’m pretty sure you could trade Tayshaun for him even up if the salaries work. He has more upside than the other deals being bandied about.

Langlois: And way more downside, too. For all of Artest’s ability, bad things seem to happen to teams he joins. Even if the brawl had happened anywhere else, I’d have a hard time seeing Joe Dumars rolling the dice on Artest when he’s dealing from the position of having won 59 games last season.

Matt (Windsor, Ontario): I was looking at Jarvis Hayes’ profile and it said last season he signed a four-year contract with the Pistons. So how was he a free agent? Did he have a player option or something?

Langlois: Not sure where you were looking, Matt, but that was bad information. Hayes signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Pistons last August. He just signed with New Jersey.

Shawn (Garden Grove, Calif.): Do you think the Pistons will try to sign Matt Barnes?

Langlois: I’ve not heard his name linked to the Pistons, Shawn. He’s an interesting player who would be attractive to any team at the right price. For whatever reason, Barnes hasn’t been getting much play, at least not on the surface.

Jose (Detroit): Who are the Pistons targeting now that Maggette, Brand and Davis are off the board?

Langlois: Your question implies that they ever targeted any of those three guys, which is wrong. Brand and Davis were priced way out of their range – only teams that had more than $10 million in cap room, and there were three or four of them in the entire league, could seriously enter bidding for them – and so was Maggette as soon as Golden State stepped forward with a $10 million-a-year deal. The Pistons are waiting for the market to cool. There was no free agent out there willing to sign for the MLE or below who could start for them, and they weren’t going to pay starter’s money to players whose talents indicated they would be playing relatively insignificant roles for them. That might make fans impatient, but how would they feel next summer if, for instance, Rip Hamilton opts out of his contract and the Pistons can’t enter the bidding for him because they’d committed $6 million in 2009-10 salary to a backup small forward?

Josh (Walled Lake, Mich.): If you look around the Eastern Conference, it seems like it’s getting stronger with Elton Brand coming to Philadelphia, Jermaine O’Neal to Toronto and Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee. Do you think the Pistons’ main focus is to bring in a premier scorer and, if so, who would you like to see come to Detroit?

Langlois: No question, Josh, Philadelphia and Toronto have put themselves in great position to be major players in the East. Those two, plus the Pistons, Boston, Cleveland and Orlando give the East a top six that is going to match up much better next season with the top six in the West than the last few years. As for what the focus of the Pistons will be, Joe Dumars has said his preference is to bring in someone who is an impact player at either end of the floor. Offensive impact players are more numerous than defensive impact players, so I guess a 20-point per game scorer is more likely to be added than a Ben Wallace, circa 2005-level defender. But Dumars really is looking more for the right fit at the right price.

Kevin (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.): If the Pistons don’t make a trade, that still leaves them with a need at backup small forward. I’d be happy seeing Walter Herrmann back. Do you know if they’ve considered Ricky Davis at all? He’s a huge character risk, but that guy can flat-out score. Also, I’m not sure of the rules on trades. Would the Pistons have to trade a player to get one back or could they trade for a guy who makes around the same as they could spend on a free agent? I know Portland is looking to ship out either Travis Outlaw or Martell Webster and Milwaukee is probably looking to dump Desmond Mason since they got Jefferson and Alexander. Could the Pistons trade some of their extra draft picks for one of those guys?

Langlois: Haven’t heard much on Walter Herrmann for a while, but I didn’t expect to – unless he signs with a European team, he’s one of those guys whose status won’t be determined until teams make their more significant moves. Remember, the Pistons didn’t sign Jarvis Hayes last year until the middle of August. Davis? On the surface, he doesn’t seem like the type of player the Pistons would seek, but they might know him differently than his reputation. The way he played in Miami this year would seem a red flag. As for the second part of your question, no, the only time you can take a player in trade without sending a like amount back in salary is when you are under the salary cap. Case in point: Last year on draft day, Golden State shipped Jason Richardson to Charlotte for the No. 8 pick in the draft, Brandan Wright, because the Bobcats were about $20 million under the cap and could absorb all of Richardson’s huge contract. Teams over the cap have to trade salaries within 125 percent of each other. So – and this is rough math here – if the Pistons were to trade for a player who makes about $5 million, they’d have to ship back a player making somewhere between $4 million and $6 million, give or take a few hundred thousand.

Ammar (Farmington, Mich.): What happened to Will Blalock? Didn’t we draft him like two years ago? Does he still have a chance to be part of the Pistons in the future?

Langlois: The Pistons didn’t pick up their option on Blalock after the 2006-07 season. He played in Europe for part of the season last year, then finished up in the NBA D-League. The Pistons do not have any claim to his rights, but they’re free to negotiate a contract with him, as are all 29 other NBA teams.

Mike (Hazel Park, Mich.): What is Jason Maxiell’s salary, what about the biannual exception and how much can we use this year to a sign a free agent?

Langlois: Maxiell is scheduled to earn a little less than $2 million this season. The biannual exception allows teams that are over the salary cap to sign a free agent every other year for about $2 million a season. The Pistons, as all teams who are over the cap, can use their mid-level exception to sign a player. The MLE was just set last week at $5.58 million for the first year of a multiyear deal. So the Pistons have all of that to use and also have the right to use the biannual exception, plus veteran’s minimum contracts if Lindsey Hunter and Theo Ratliff express the desire to play another season.

Jason (Tallahassee, Fla.): I know Joe Dumars is trying to get somebody else’s best player, but wouldn’t it make more sense to just go after a team’s best bench players? If Houston is trying to make a run for it, I would think they would want a guy like Chauncey. But instead of Tracy McGrady, how about Shane Battier and Bobby Jackson?

Langlois: Battier came within in a minute per game of playing more than both McGrady and Yao Ming a year ago, so he’s not a bench player. He gives Houston many of the same things Tayshaun Prince gives the Pistons, but to have those two sharing the position would be a pretty big luxury. If the Pistons are going to dangle Chauncey Billups, you’d have to think they’d want more than someone who could job share. As for Jackson, nice player, but getting up there in age and he’s been brittle.

Walt (Oak Park, Mich.): I read recently that Mr. Davidson sold his NHL franchise, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Is he planning on selling the Pistons and Shock, too?

Langlois: Not a chance. When I interviewed him a year ago and we began talking about how the value of NBA franchises has escalated since he paid about $6 million or so for the Pistons in 1974, he said it didn’t matter how much the franchise was worth today because he was never going to sell it, anyway. He’s also said a plan for succession of ownership is in place, as well, to keep it within the family. The decision to sell the Lightning came from a variety of factors. An interested ownership group approached them, for one. The fact Mr. Davidson wasn’t getting down to Florida very frequently any more made it easier. And I think there was also some concern that the NHL’s finances didn’t get fixed to a sufficient degree even after the lockout of a few years ago.

MONDAY, July 14
Kevin (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.): I am officially panicking. I heard that a Toronto newspaper reports that the Pistons are trying to trade for Tracy McGrady. Why? Yes, he’s a terrific player, but he’s always hurt 30 times a year. Why give up two core guys to get him? Joe D said he wanted to bring in a player to take the team to the next level. How is McGrady going to do that? He’s never even taken a team to the second round of the playoffs?

Langlois: Kevin, I’ll let your question represent the 8 million others I got on the subject of the McGrady rumor. Let me start by saying this: I can’t confirm one way or the other the reports that the Pistons and Houston were talking about a McGrady trade that would involve Chauncey Billups or Tayshaun Prince or both, but it’s been pretty roundly rejected by media outlets in both cities. But it wouldn’t surprise me if those teams had talked about McGrady since the season ended. When Joe D said he had talked to 10 or 12 teams and wasn’t talking about anybody’s second- or third-best players, McGrady would have been a logical contender for that list. Why? Because Houston has floundered with the McGrady-Yao pairing and probably feels some urgency to shake up their chemistry in the same way Dumars said he wished to. Would there be an inherent risk in the deal? Absolutely. There usually is. But McGrady is, flat-out, one of the five best pure scorers in the game. If the Pistons were to seriously consider dealing for him, you can bet your bottom dollar that Dumars would have thoroughly vetted McGrady’s health history and ran it past training guru Arnie Kander for his take. As for McGrady’s playoff record, until a month ago Kevin Garnett had gotten his teams out of the first round exactly once in his career. I think it’s silly to put that history on McGrady. For most of his years, he’s been on teams that didn’t have the roster to make much postseason noise. People tend to forget that when McGrady’s Orlando team lost a 3-1 lead to the 2003 Pistons, Detroit was the No. 1 seed and Orlando the No. 8 seed.

Bingo (Detroit): Are the Pistons planning on shipping Rasheed out? He was clearly the weak link in the playoffs. Something needs to happen. A few other teams in the East are getting better and if they keep the same roster I don’t even think the will make it to the Eastern Conference finals.

Langlois: Bingo, fans need to calm down a little and let the summer play itself out. Kevin Garnett didn’t get traded to Boston until July 31 last summer. Major trades, unless they happen on draft night, usually don’t occur until after the dust settles on free agency, and that hasn’t happened yet. But if the worst-case scenario for the Pistons is status quo, is that so bad? They’ll have a new coach who by every indication is held in high regard by his players and they have several young players who are ready to not just play but make an impact. Yes, the East will be deeper next year, but the Pistons won’t head into next season feeling they’ve been passed by.

Matt (Windsor, Ontario): What free agents do the Pistons have that they can re-sign without using the mid-level exception? I think Lindsey Hunter is one of them.

Langlois: You’re right, Matt. If Hunter and Theo Ratliff come back for one more season, the Pistons would most likely sign both to veteran’s minimum contracts, which for their years of service would put them somewhere between $1.5 million and $2 million. The good thing about veteran’s minimum deals is that the league picks up a good chunk of the contract and only about half of it counts against the salary cap. It was a provision put in to prevent teams from shunning worthy veterans to sign cheaper young players. Besides the MLE, which was set last week for the coming season at $5.585 million, the Pistons also have the biannual exception to use, which is roughly $2 million. I don’t think they’ll have to use the biannual, though, because if both Hunter and Ratliff return, that puts the roster at 13. And the Pistons probably will sign two veterans with the MLE.

Steve (Rochester, Mich.): A strong defensive force down low is imperative to stopping someone like Kevin Garnett. Are there any big men left that would sign maybe a low-money, one-year deal like maybe Kwame Brown? The Pistons seem to have a knack for turning good players into All-Stars.

Langlois: Not with the way the roster is presently constituted. If the Pistons bring back Theo Ratliff, they’d be pretty stacked up front with Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson and Cheikh Samb – and Maxiell and Johnson, for sure, and Samb, perhaps, are all in line for expanded roles. Besides, Kwame Brown should get more than a low-money, one-year deal. He’s fallen far short of the expectations for a No. 1 pick overall, but considering DeSagana Diop got a full mid-level exception deal, Brown should get something close.

Scott (Orion Twp., Mich.): Could you explain how salary matching works with trades and what exceptions there are? Also, does Cheikh Samb still weigh195?

Langlois: Scott, there’s not room enough and I don’t have a firm enough grasp of it myself, but whenever I have questions about the minutiae of the salary cap, I go to this http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm Web site. As for Samb, no, he weights considerably more than that now. He’s spent a lot of time in the weight room in the past two years. I’d say he’s probably at about 240 right now. That’s still not a lot of weight on a 7-foot-1 frame, but his upper body, especially, is now pretty solid.

Marcus (Kalamazoo, Mich.): What are your thoughts on trading for Eddy Curry? What would it take to get him?

Langlois: The Knicks would dump him in a heartbeat. Curry has three years left on his contract – though the final two are at his option. But he isn’t very likely to opt out of those two years, which would pay him more than $21 million, unless he has a monster year next season. And I don’t see Curry as a very good fit for the way Mike D’Antoni likes to play. But the Pistons don’t have $10 million worth of dead weight hanging around to ship to New York to make the deal work.

Erges (Tirana, Albania): Why does NBA.com use feet and inches instead of meters and centimeters to measure players’ height? Don’t you think it’s an old technique and very uncomfortable for people like me and others living in Europe? Stuckey at Afflalo are both listed at 1.96 meters but it’s clear that Afflalo is 2 or 3 centimeters taller than Stuckey. Rasheed definitely seems to be taller than the 2.1 meters he’s listed at.

Langlois: The NBA is expanding globally, Erges, but it’s still a league with 29 of its 30 franchises in the United States, which doesn’t use the metric system. As for Stuckey and Afflalo, they’re actually pretty close. I’m not sure if it’s exact, but it’s pretty close.

Natan (Tel Aviv, Israel): It would be insane to trade Chauncey Billups. Stuckey needs the mentoring. It’s too early to put the whole team on his shoulders.

Langlois: If the Pistons trade Chauncey Billups, they’ll get a good player back. And there will be plenty of good players still on the team. They won’t be putting the whole team on Rodney Stuckey’s shoulders. But I disagree that Stuckey needs “mentoring.” He’s ready to shoulder whatever load the Pistons give him.

Stephen (Clarkston, Mich.): You said in a recent Mailbag that Samb could compete for the spot as fifth big man in the rotation though that role would probably go to Theo Ratliff. Since Theo is up there in age, why not start the season with Samb and then insert Ratliff in February?

Langlois: It’s possible the Pistons would handle Ratliff similarly to the way they used Lindsey Hunter last year, I suppose – keep him with the team but spot his appearances on the active list in order to keep him fresh. But the reason that worked so well with Hunter is he gave the Pistons something truly unique with his harassing on-the-ball defense. Samb gives them a lot of what Ratliff provides – a shot-blocking force and a long, active body defensively. The other part of the equation that can’t be measured right now is how that scenario would appeal to Ratliff.

Giles (Riverside, Calif.): It makes a lot of sense to sign Josh Childress to the full mid-level exception. If Tayshaun gets involved in a deal – he always seems to be “the sweetener” – it would be like the Pistons are only losing one player in a two-for-one deal and Childress would be tied up at a lower cost than Prince.

Langlois: Sounds good, but it’s hard to imagine a team allowing Childress to get away – he’s a restricted free agent, not unrestricted – for the MLE. Then again, Atlanta might be the team that would do it with an uncertain ownership situation complicated by Josh Smith’s restricted status, as well. Here’s the thing: No one really wants to fork over that type of money to someone it doesn’t know will be a starter. And if Atlanta brings back Josh Smith, Childress would still be coming off its bench. The Pistons wouldn’t want to spend that kind of money on Childress, either, unless it had a prominent role available to him and felt he was up to the responsibility.

Chris (Detroit): Would a trade with Portland where we send them Chauncey Billups for LaMarcus Aldridge and Steve Blake have potential? That would give us a big man and inside offense and Portland needs a point guard.

Langlois: If I’m Portland, it would be hard to justify trading Aldridge. The Blazers acquired Jerryd Bayless on draft night and are taking a long look at last year’s No. 1 pick, Petteri Koponen, in the Summer League. If the right deal for a point guard came along, I’m sure the Blazers would be interested. But I think they regard Aldridge, Greg Oden and Brandon Roy as fairly untouchable.

Jose (Lansing, Mich.): I read that Charlotte might entertain the thought of a sign-and-trade for Emeka Okafor. He’s an athletic young center who plays with his back to the basket. I would not mind trading Rasheed for him. He would give the Bobcats an experienced, talented vet to play alongside the young guys on their roster. The only downfall I see is that I don’t know if Larry Brown would want to deal with Rasheed again.

Langlois: Larry Brown famously fell in and out of love with a million players. I’m not sure where he is on Rasheed Wallace at the moment, but he sure gushed love for him during his time in Detroit. I think NBA GMs are sort of lukewarm on Okafor. At the right price, he’s an asset, but he turned down a deal that would have paid him an annual average of more than $12 million before last season began. That’s a lot of money for what Okafor has supplied so far – never mind he’s also had a pretty scary injury history.

Alex (Grand Rapids, Mich.): How much potential do you see in Cheikh Samb after the scrimmage on Thursday?

Langlois: He can already do a few things – make shots and block shots – well enough to command minutes, Alex. Can he hold his position defensively against NBA low-post players? Can he get out and defend the pick and roll? Can he establish low-post position himself offensively and hit that half-hook he’s developed – which has looked pretty good here in Las Vegas – with a fair amount of consistency? I can definitely see him being good enough within the next season or two to work his way into the rotation. Where he goes from there is still anyone’s guess.

LeTherron (Port Huron, Mich.): With New Jersey adding three 7-footers in Lopez, Yi and Krstic and also having four 6-foot-10 players, do you feel this makes them the No. 1 favorite in the East?

Langlois: New Jersey? Not by a long shot. That team is barely trying to conceal its strategy of clearing cap room for a run at LeBron in two summers. Trading Richard Jefferson for Yi leaves the Nets with a gaping hole at small forward. And it’s looking more and more like Krstic won’t be back next season.

Jason (Grand Rapids, Mich.): I am a huge Rodney Stuckey fan, but if we trade Chauncey Billups who would back up Stuckey? Isn’t it a little risky to hand the keys to the team over to someone who has only had one good season? What if Stuckey got injured again?

Langlois: Before Stuckey was a Piston, what did they do when Chauncey Billups got hurt? They patched it together with Flip Murray and Lindsey Hunter for a while. If All-Stars go down, you’re going to have a dropoff. If the Pistons were to decide the best way to alter the mix was to trade Billups, they would have to find a competent backup point guard somewhere. The free agent market doesn’t have a whole lot to offer. I like Keyon Dooling, but he’s probably going to get more money for a more prominent role elsewhere.

Josh (Chicago): Two of the free agents the Pistons were reportedly interested in, James Jones and Mickael Pietrus, are now off the market. To acquire James Posey they’d need to offer a substantial multiyear contract and fend off a number of other teams. Is it possible for the Pistons to get any good backup to Rip or Tayshaun any more?

Langlois: If the Pistons come back with the roster as it is, I think they feel OK about their perimeter positions because of the expanded role they foresee for Arron Afflalo and because of the way Rip Hamilton proved he could defend small forwards last season. If Afflalo can handle 20 minutes or so a game, that would free Hamilton to play some at small forward in relief of Prince. You know Rodney Stuckey is going to get 30 minutes a night. That means the load on Billups, Prince and Hamilton can be kept in the low 30s. And it’s also possible that Walter Sharpe will show the Pistons enough in Summer League to work his way into the mix at small forward.

Richard (Howell, Mich.): Do you ever see Ben Wallace wearing a Pistons jersey again? Do you think Joe D would consider making a move to get him back?

Langlois: Never say never, Richard, but it’s hard to envision the Pistons bringing him back under the present circumstances. He’d be their highest-paid player but a long way from their best player any more, and they already are trying to carve out more minutes for Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson.

Michael (Modiin, Israel): I really hope Will Bynum does not end up with Detroit. I watched him in Israel and while at times he can be unstoppable – he has an amazing first step and is really athletic – he is not a team player and does not have an ounce of Pistons DNA inside of him. NBA guards will post him up and he will be in foul trouble most of the time. He can also easily be trapped and turns the ball over a lot.

Langlois: I’ll grant you the benefit of having seen him more often than I have, Michael. But I do know Michael Curry speaks highly of him, so that tells me he has something going for him, because Curry has little regard for soft players. Bynum has had his share of highs and lows in Las Vegas. He did have a few turnovers, but also some very nice passes to set up baskets and he busted his backside defensively and showed the ability to be a pest a la Lindsey Hunter. I think the odds are less than 50-50 that he sticks with the Pistons this season, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he did – or stuck with another NBA team.

J.J. (Columbus, Ohio): I’ve seen Earl Calloway play for the Mad Ants about six times and each time he was excellent. I know he’s a streaky shooter and is a bit small, about 5-11, but he makes smart decisions that lead to quality assists, is a hustle defender and is a great option to be the third point guard behind Billups and Stuckey. What’s your opinion and are his rights owned by anyone?

Langlois: I haven’t seen Calloway since he was at Indiana University. The problem with players like Calloway is they have to be able to do one thing really well to stick in the NBA. If he was a great defender, or a deadly 3-point shooter, or an unflappable ballhandler – and I mean he does one of those things better than 90 percent of all the other 5-11 point guards populating the D-League – then he’d have a good chance of catching somebody’s eye. But guys like him who do everything pretty well and don’t have any glaring weaknesses have a tough time making it to the NBA.

Bobby (Seal Beach, Calif.): Will the Pistons sign Deron Washington or will he be traded before the regular season begins?

Langlois: The plan is to stash Washington in Europe for a year or two to see how his game rounds out. Right now he doesn’t have enough offense to stick in the NBA. He’s athletic enough that he might be able to stick, regardless, because he has the potential to develop into a top-flight perimeter defender.

Dan (Grand Rapids, Mich.): Did Joe Dumars make any attempt to sign Elton Brand before he became a 76er?

Langlois: He had no chance. Brand was going to sign a deal with a starting salary of $12 million or more. In order for the Pistons to get in the running, they would have had to shed almost $20 million worth of contracts – theoretically, they could have entered the bidding for Brand by, say, giving Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince away to teams like Golden State and Memphis who had the cap room to absorb those salaries. That wouldn’t make any sense.

THURSDAY, July 10
Tony (Ecorse, Mich.): What players could Joe sign with part of the mid-level exception? It doesn’t seem like $5.6 million is a whole lot of money for one NBA player today, let alone two.

Langlois: There aren’t many free agents who’ll draw full MLE offers. Corey Maggette got more than that from Golden State, but then he opted out of a deal that was already over the MLE. If James Posey gets the maximum amount of money, I doubt he’ll get a full five years. He might be able to leverage his way into a fourth year because interest in him seems pretty high. Mickael Pietrus got a little less than the full MLE. James Jones got five years and $4 million a year from Miami, but only the first two years are guaranteed. Once this first wave passes, there’ll be a lot of player still out of work and a lot of teams who’ve already spent their money.

Brett (Mililani, Hawaii): With the 76ers getting Brand and Orlando signing Pietrus (and Courtney Lee also looks like a good pick), the East looks a lot tougher. There must be a heightened sense of urgency in the Pistons’ camp to tweak their own roster.

Langlois: And Toronto picking up Jermaine O’Neal makes the Raptors all that much stronger if he can stay on the floor. But I think it’s safe to assume Joe Dumars knew other teams in the East would be making use of the cap space and assets at their disposal to close the gap. I don’t think anything other teams have done are going to form Joe D’s plan of action.

Travis (Chicago): With Brand going to Philadelphia and Pietrus to Orlando, don’t you think Detroit needs to not mess around with Delfino and use the whole mid-level exception on James Posey? We certainly aren’t getting any younger and Posey has more to offer than Jarvis Hayes, Mo Evans or Delfino.

Langlois: The Pistons had their eyes on Posey a year ago but didn’t have the same role to offer as Boston. They’d be interested in him again – on their terms. I think Posey wants four or five years and I don’t know if the Pistons want to go there for a 31-year-old role player. He was superb in the playoffs, no question, but you have to be awfully careful evaluating players based on that sample size. Posey would help pretty much any contender, but a full mid-level deal – five years starting at the new MLE, just released by the NBA on Tuesday night, at $5.585 million, is a lot of money. Make a mistake and it could tie your hands two, three and four years down the road when you won’t have the chance to bid on better players – or, worse, won’t be able to retain your own free agents.

Aaron (New York City): Shouldn’t the Pistons hurry up and make a move to make us even better? I’ve already heard comments saying the 76ers are better than the Pistons now that they’ve signed Elton Brand.

Langlois: Philly is now a real factor in the Eastern Conference, Aaron, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say the 76ers are better than the Pistons. And that’s as of today. Philly has now played its cards. The Pistons still have moves to make. And even if they make no moves, the Pistons have reason to believe they have plenty of room for internal growth from players like Rodney Stuckey, Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell and Arron Afflalo. Patience over the summer is advised. There will be plenty of solid players still on the market into August.

Jackson (Grosse Pointe, Mich.): I know Joe D will be looking to add a veteran big man to fill the spot as No. 5 in the rotation, but why not go get a proven guy like Alonzo Mourning or Robert Horry to fill that spot?

Langlois: If the Pistons add a veteran big man, it almost certainly will be Theo Ratliff. And I think it’s possible that Cheikh Samb challenges him for that No. 5 spot. Based on what I saw in Wednesday’s practice in Las Vegas – granted, that’s not a lot to go on – Samb looks a lot more sure of himself and closer to cracking an NBA rotation this summer than last. He’s been in Auburn Hills since the season ended working with the coaches and it looks like things are starting to come naturally for him. Mourning is coming off a major knee injury and is committed to staying in Miami if he continues to play. Horry didn’t look like he had much, if anything, left for the Spurs last season.

Al (Ishpeming, Mich.): What are your thoughts about possibly playing Amir Johnson at small forward? He seems to be young, fast and agile enough to play that position.

Langlois: Amir is much more comfortable guarding closer to the basket, Al. I’m not sure at this point he has the footwork to be chasing quicker small forwards. Amir has amazing straight-line speed for a big man and very good lateral mobility, but defending guys like Paul Pierce and Richard Jefferson is a little much. Besides, one of his great assets is his shot-blocking ability – I don’t think you want to move him very far from the rim.

Fran (Southfield, Mich.): I read the Pistons might be interested in signing Carlos Delfino. Why would they want someone back who wasn’t happy here the first time around?

Langlois: I think it’s a real consideration for the Pistons at this point – with Pietrus and Jones off the market at pretty high price tags – partly because of the year Delfino spent outside the organization. He now knows the grass isn’t necessarily greener, if you know what I mean. The Pistons always thought he had tantalizing potential. He can put the ball on the floor, defend, run and jump. His outside shot was a little erratic and he leaned on it a little too much, but he gained valuable experience as Toronto’s sixth man for most of last season and would come back – if he comes back – a wiser and more experienced player. Delfino was a little high maintenance with the Pistons, thinking he deserved a bigger role than he was ever given, but he got some of the same treatment in Toronto and should have a better understanding of the NBA’s meritocracy system now – playing time goes to those who earn it.

Sam (St. Louis): With a likely starting lineup of Stuckey, Afflalo, Sharpe, Johnson and Samb, will the emphasis in Summer League be on giving the starting five plenty of playing time or giving minutes to the likes of Acker, Bynum, Plaisted and Washington to see what they can offer. Is it possible to achieve both?

Langlois: Well, Acker’s out, Sam, as I wrote about in my blog on Wednesday. He apparently reinjured the knee that caused him some problems last summer and almost nullified the contract he signed with Barcelona. That’s a real setback for his shot at making the team. But Michael Curry told me that the starters will get the majority of minutes here in Summer League, though they’re also going to try to get good looks at the other players that are their property – draft choices Trent Plaisted and Deron Washington. They also think Will Bynum has a shot to stick, so they’ll want to see how he responds to game situations. Beyond those guys, minutes will be precious for the rest of the roster as they try to catch someone’s eye for a chance to get invited to an NBA camp or sign a contract overseas.

Rob (Mount Pleasant, Mich.): What are your thoughts on Shaun Livingston, especially if Lindsey Hunter retires. He could be an asset with his length and size to complement Stuckey.

Langlois: I can’t imagine either the Pistons or Livingston seeing the attraction in making a marriage as long as both Chauncey Billups and Rodney Stuckey are on the roster. Livingston, even coming off the devastating knee injury he suffered about 18 months ago, is going to want a little clearer path to playing time than that. And the Pistons couldn’t compete financially with teams who have more than that limited role to offer him. Now, would it be a great luxury to have a guy with the potential of Livingston as the No. 3 point guard? You bet. If he can stay healthy, he has a chance to be a very good player. But unless he drags out his free agency while the Pistons do something dramatic in trade, I don’t see a match here.

Alec (Detroit): How about trading Chauncey for Stephen Jackson? Golden State would have to throw someone else in to make the money work, but would get the point guard it needs. Golden State has Maggette now, so Jackson could be expendable to them.

Langlois: I wrote on Monday in my blog, Alec, that it would not be at all surprising to hear that Golden State had inquired about Chauncey Billups and suggested the logical exchange would involve either Jackson or, more likely, Al Harrington. But that was before Maggette signed. I still think the Warriors would like to hang on to Jackson, playing him at shooting guard, with Maggette at small forward. They might now be inclined to put Monta Ellis at point guard. We’ll have to see how it shakes out. But as to your point about throwing in someone else – yeah, I agree the Warriors would have to sweeten the pot and I suggested a No. 1 pick would be the likeliest sweetener. But money doesn’t have anything to do with it because when Baron Davis left, the Warriors got way under the salary cap – they could take on a big contract without having to ship out an equally big deal.

Sean (Melbourne, Australia): I wonder if the Pistons are targeting J.R. Smith since they did try to get him last season. He could back up Tayshaun Prince at small forward and would probably settle for the mid-level exception.

Langlois: The Pistons didn’t try to trade for Smith last season. It was reported, but it simply was not true. I think Smith’s spotty behavioral track record makes it unlikely he’s going to get MLE money, though on pure talent he sure would be a candidate. He seems distinctly un-Piston like to me, but you never know.

Adam (Chicago): With some recent trade rumors apparently having fizzled, is it an option for Joe Dumars to move one guy this off-season to save up money for 2009 or ’10 when the free agent classes are stronger? Would he consider taking a small step back in order to open up options for the future while gaining experience for our youth?

Langlois: I think he’d object to the notion of purposely taking a step back to horde resources for a run at free agents down the road because the truth is high-caliber free agents rarely change teams, though Elton Brand and Baron Davis are putting the lie to that notion. It’s pretty clear that both New York and New Jersey are positioning themselves to be players in 2010 when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Ray Allen, Amare Stoudemire and Manu Ginobili, among others, are due to hit free agency. But chances are pretty good most of those players wind up back with their old teams. I think it’s possible the Pistons find a trade that might appear to be a step back but turns out not to be – something along the lines of their 2002 deal that sent Jerry Stackhouse away for Rip Hamilton.

Boris (Troy, Mich.): Is it possible to project which teams will be the top contenders in the East and West based on the draft, trades and free agency thus far?

Langlois: Still pretty early for that, Boris. I think the teams that have helped themselves the most so far this off-season are Philadelphia, Toronto and Milwaukee. And since Philly and Toronto were already playoff teams, I think they now have a reasonable chance at contending at the top of the East if a few other things go right for them this summer. The Bucks stole Richard Jefferson from New Jersey and got a good one in the draft in Joe Alexander – nice start by former Pistons VP John Hammond – and now look like a playoff team.

John (Farmington Hills, Mich.): Did the Pistons try to move up in the draft? If Miami needed a point guard and wanted to trade its pick, could it have been Billups for Beasley?

Langlois: I got no indication the Pistons tried very hard to move up. The general consensus was they didn’t feel there was any sure thing unless they were able to move up dramatically and there wasn’t anything that tempted them to do so. The Pistons couldn’t have traded Billups for Beasley because Miami couldn’t take on an $11 million contract without sending a similar sum back to the Pistons.

Joel (Calgary, Alberta): All of the Eastern Conference playoff teams have good small forwards – LeBron, Pierce, Turkoglu, Igoudala. We need a good defender behind Tayshaun to be successful in the playoffs. Never mind the money, signing James Posey would be great. What do you think?

Langlois: Posey was terrific for Boston throughout the postseason. He might have hit as many big shots as Pierce or Allen did. But you can’t say “never mind the money” because the salary cap makes it necessary to mind the money very carefully. And I’d be leery about giving Posey a full mid-level exception deal – at least for the full five years. Three years, sure. Four? Maybe.

Jim (Warren, Mich.): Is it legal to construct a player’s contract with bonus incentives to win a championship? Does the bonus count toward the salary cap? Could this be a simple way to improve the “hunger” we are looking for from our current roster?

Langlois: According to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, it is legal to attach bonuses to a player’s contract. For purposes of calculating salaries related to the salary cap, the league classifies bonuses as either “likely to be achieved” or “unlikely to be achieved” based on the previous season’s numbers. I could find nothing specific about an incentive for winning the title. I suppose, based on a strict interpretation, that only the Boston Celtics would have to classify an incentive to win the NBA title as “likely to be achieved.” But in the first year of a contract, even unlikely to be achieved bonuses count toward the cap.

Ryan (Grand Rapids, Mich.): If Al Harrington is the best player Detroit can get via trade, then Dumars wasn’t kidding when he said he wasn’t talking about team’s second- or third-best players. Harrington is Golden State’s fourth or fifth best. Don’t trade with Golden State. They have nothing of value except Monta Ellis.

Langlois: I wasn’t advocating for the trade, only suggesting that given the Warriors’ needs it would be surprising if they didn’t at least check in to Chauncey Billups’ availability and try building a package around Harrington in return. But don’t underestimate Harrington. I think he’d be a lot closer to the guy who averaged 18 points and seven boards a game for Atlanta two years ago if he got back in the Eastern Conference playing a style more compatible with his skills.

Richard (Salt Lake City): Reading your True Blue Pistons blog, you mentioned Josh Childress. Makes sense. Boston couldn’t deal with him, home or away.

Langlois: Atlanta will have to pony up if it wants to keep both Josh Smith and Childress as restricted free agents. The Hawks might decide that paying a full mid-level exception to Childress would be too much of a commitment when he’s playing behind Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams. Much like Corey Maggette, Childress would be a real luxury as a sixth man for a contender. But if somebody throws a ton of money at Smith and the Hawks let him go, then they’ll surely do everything within reason to keep Childress.

Jerry (Walled Lake, Mich.): I’m a little confused. I thought when we traded Nazr Mohammed that we would have his salary slot to combine with our other expiring contracts to use to go after an above-average player in free agency. I thought we would have cap space freed up in addition to being able to use the mid-level exception.

Langlois: Not the case, Jerry. The Pistons are over the salary cap just with commitments to their five starters plus Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell, Cheikh Samb and rookie Walter Sharpe. Trading Mohammed merely meant that they wouldn’t have his $6 million on the books, as well. That doesn’t mean they can turn around and spent that $6 million on someone else and still use the MLE on another player. Teams over the salary cap can only use the MLE and their bi-annual exception – as the name suggests, you can use it every other year to sign a player for no more than $1.91 million for the coming season – and the veteran’s minimum. The Pistons have all of those in play this year. They could have used the MLE even if they hadn’t traded Mohammed, but they could not have done so without exceeding the luxury-tax threshold – which means they probably would not have used it.

Spencer (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.): How do you think Walter Sharpe will fit in the rotation?

Langlois: We’ll get our first hints at that over the next week or so, Spencer, during the NBA Summer League. Michael Curry told me Wednesday, after putting Sharpe through two days or practice, that he has a great feel for the game and is a hard worker. Those are two pretty good indicators that he’ll be a keeper. I watched him practice and he certainly moves fluidly. He is struggling now with learning assignments and his shot wasn’t going in, but there’s nothing wrong with the stroke.

Chris (Fremont, Ohio): What NBA player most closely resembles Cheikh Samb in playing style? I have only seen highlights of him and from what I could see he reminded me of Jermaine O’Neal. What are the chances of him cracking the rotation next year?

Langlois: Samb has a long way to go to become the player O’Neal is – or was, at least. O’Neal had very good footwork in the post that made him one of the league’s best on the blocks. Where Samb could approach O’Neal’s impact is as a shot-blocking defender. O’Neal was right there with the very best in the game as an on-the-ball post defender. Samb needs experience more than anything. He has the physical tools to stay in the NBA for a long time.

Russell (Grosse Pointe, Mich.): I find it completely unfair that Los Angeles has two teams. So don’t you feel David Stern, regardless of how profitable they are, should move the Clippers to another city – possibly Seattle?

Langlois: Stern isn’t in the business of initiating franchise relocations. It’s his job to approve or reject them by steering the vote of the owners. No one is going to tell Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who moved the team to Los Angeles from San Diego, that he has to uproot and m