AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - August 4, 2004 - Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the Detroit Pistons have acquired forward/center Derrick Coleman and center Amal McCaskill from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for forward Corliss Williamson.
“We feel like this is a good trade for our team and our organization as we move forward,” said Dumars. “Corliss Williamson was a very special guy to have on the team for three and a half seasons. We thank him for all of his efforts here on and off the court and we will miss him.”
Coleman, 37, appeared in 34 games with the 76ers last season, averaging 8.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game. He missed 48 games overall due to injury. Prior to last season, the Detroit native averaged double figures in 11 of his 13 NBA seasons, including a career-high 20.7 points per game during the 1992-93 season with New Jersey. In 776 NBA games, Coleman has averaged 16.6 points and 9.3 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per game and recorded 343 career double-doubles. He was selected to the All-NBA Third Team in 1993 and 1994, started at center for the Eastern Conference at the 1994 NBA All-Star Game and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1991.
McCaskill, 30, appeared in 59 games (three starts) last season, averaging 1.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per game. He scored a career-high nine points and added six rebounds at New Jersey (2/8). In four NBA seasons, McCaskill has played 114 games with four teams - Orlando (1996-97), San Antonio (2001-02), Atlanta (2002-03) and Philadelphia (2003-04) - averaging 1.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He made his first playoff appearance with San Antonio during the Spurs’ 2002 playoff run.
Williamson, 30, appeared in 79 games (no starts) last season, averaging 9.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game. The nine-year-pro averaged 5.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 14.9 minutes during the Pistons’ playoff run. Williamson has played in 645 games during his NBA career, averaging 11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.1 minutes. A career .492 marksman from the field, he has made at least 50% of his field goal attempts in four of the last five seasons. Williamson was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the Pistons in 2002.