It was announced Monday November 3rd that Allen Iverson would once again be on the move for the second time in 2 or 3 years. Joe Dumars said it as loudly as any team executive can say it back in June, memorably warning his own players to brace for a shakeup after the latest in a string of playoff disappointments for the Detroit Pistons. A mere two games into the new season, Dumars gave his roster that shake and with a vigorous hand I might add.
The Pistons and Nuggets on Monday finalized a trade, which was initially discussed during the summer, sources close to the process told ESPN.com that brings guard Allen Iverson to Detroit and sends Pistons mainstays Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to Denver. There's a chance McDyess could return to Detroit after a league-mandated wait of 30 days if he can secure his release or negotiate a contract buyout with the Nuggets. Either way, Detroit's identity has been radically changed by swapping Billups...NBA Finals MVP in 2004 and one of the faces synonymous with the Pistons' ensemble-cast approach for a high-scoring attention grabber like Iverson.
Iverson's expiring contract, furthermore, will afford Detroit significant financial flexibility as soon as July....along with Rasheed Wallace's expiring contract if Dumars decides it's time for a more thorough makeover. Yet it appears that Pistons guard Richard Hamilton remains a key figure in Detroit's future, with ESPN.com's Chad Ford reporting Monday night that Hamilton and the Pistons have agreed on a three-year contract extension worth an estimated $34 million.
The Pistons and Nuggets on Monday finalized a trade, which was initially discussed during the summer, sources close to the process told ESPN.com that brings guard Allen Iverson to Detroit and sends Pistons mainstays Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to Denver. There's a chance McDyess could return to Detroit after a league-mandated wait of 30 days if he can secure his release or negotiate a contract buyout with the Nuggets. Either way, Detroit's identity has been radically changed by swapping Billups...NBA Finals MVP in 2004 and one of the faces synonymous with the Pistons' ensemble-cast approach for a high-scoring attention grabber like Iverson.
Iverson's expiring contract, furthermore, will afford Detroit significant financial flexibility as soon as July....along with Rasheed Wallace's expiring contract if Dumars decides it's time for a more thorough makeover. Yet it appears that Pistons guard Richard Hamilton remains a key figure in Detroit's future, with ESPN.com's Chad Ford reporting Monday night that Hamilton and the Pistons have agreed on a three-year contract extension worth an estimated $34 million.
Trade at a glance
• Allen Iverson has the third-highest scoring average in NBA history.
• Allen Iverson has the third-highest scoring average in NBA history.
• Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess have both been with the Nuggets previously. This would be Billups' second stint in Denver and the third for McDyess. McDyess is expected to be bought out by the Nuggets.
• Iverson's scoring average has decreased significantly since averaging a career-best 33.0 points per game in 2005-06.• Iverson has the most points of any active player who has not won an NBA title.
• Billups ranks fourth in Pistons history in assists behind only Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Dave Bing.
Fun Fact
Most career points, active players, who haven't won NBA title
Points
Allen Iverson
23,044
Dirk Nowitzki
17,047
Tracy McGrady
16,798
Vince Carter
16,633
Stephon Marbury
16,209
"We just felt it was the right time to change our team," Dumars told The Associated Press. "Iverson gives us a dimension that we haven't had here and we really think it's going to help us. In this league, six or seven years is an eternity to have a core together. So when a situation like this presents itself where you can cover yourself on both sides -- the immediate impact player and the long-term flexibility -- you have to push the button."
The Pistons introduced Iverson at a news conference Tuesday Nov 4th at 3:30 p.m. ET. At the time it was not yet known which number Iverson was going to wear, since Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey has been wearing No. 3, but sources close to Iverson said he would probably wear No. 1. "He was very excited about the trade," Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, told the AP.
Sources say McDyess, meanwhile, has no interest in playing for any other team than the Pistons, leading to the widespread expectation that the Nuggets will buy him out. Denver also waived veteran forward Juwan Howard to make roster room for incoming players.
Dumars put the entire Pistons roster on notice after they lost to Boston in the East finals, saying that there "are no sacred cows" on his team and vowing to consider trading anyone in addition to firing coach Flip Saunders and replacing Saunders with the untested Michael Curry.
The Pistons could not find a workable deal over the summer after talking with numerous teams, but it emerged then that Billups was the most likely Piston to be dealt. The 32-year-old is in the second season of a four-year contract worth a guaranteed $46 million, with a $14 million team option in Year 5. With Denver's desire to acquire a dependable point guard growing, Dumars moved quickly to finally consummate this deal with the Nuggets, who acquired Iverson from Philadelphia shortly before Christmas in 2006 but failed in two attempts to get out of the first round with a three-man core of Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby.
The Pistons, meanwhile, will undoubtedly contend that their risks are mitigated by the fact that Iverson, who turned 33 in June and carries a salary of $20.8 million, will be highly motivated in the final year of his contract to prove to his many skeptics that he can blend into a team-based system. "It gives us a different way to attack people," Dumars said, referring to Iverson's ability to create his own shot, something Detroit has clearly lacked when its half-court offense bogs down. "We have been extremely successful for a long time. But I also think what comes with that is a little bit of predictability."
The Pistons introduced Iverson at a news conference Tuesday Nov 4th at 3:30 p.m. ET. At the time it was not yet known which number Iverson was going to wear, since Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey has been wearing No. 3, but sources close to Iverson said he would probably wear No. 1. "He was very excited about the trade," Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, told the AP.
Sources say McDyess, meanwhile, has no interest in playing for any other team than the Pistons, leading to the widespread expectation that the Nuggets will buy him out. Denver also waived veteran forward Juwan Howard to make roster room for incoming players.
Dumars put the entire Pistons roster on notice after they lost to Boston in the East finals, saying that there "are no sacred cows" on his team and vowing to consider trading anyone in addition to firing coach Flip Saunders and replacing Saunders with the untested Michael Curry.
The Pistons could not find a workable deal over the summer after talking with numerous teams, but it emerged then that Billups was the most likely Piston to be dealt. The 32-year-old is in the second season of a four-year contract worth a guaranteed $46 million, with a $14 million team option in Year 5. With Denver's desire to acquire a dependable point guard growing, Dumars moved quickly to finally consummate this deal with the Nuggets, who acquired Iverson from Philadelphia shortly before Christmas in 2006 but failed in two attempts to get out of the first round with a three-man core of Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby.
The Pistons, meanwhile, will undoubtedly contend that their risks are mitigated by the fact that Iverson, who turned 33 in June and carries a salary of $20.8 million, will be highly motivated in the final year of his contract to prove to his many skeptics that he can blend into a team-based system. "It gives us a different way to attack people," Dumars said, referring to Iverson's ability to create his own shot, something Detroit has clearly lacked when its half-court offense bogs down. "We have been extremely successful for a long time. But I also think what comes with that is a little bit of predictability."
I personally think that both teams wound up getting great players. I'm not sure right now which team got dealt the better hand but time will tell. Can Allen Iverson play good enough in Detroit to match the skilled teams in the East such as the reigning champs, the Boston Celtics. Just the same, can Chauncey Billups play well enough to play against one of the best teams in the West, the all-powerful Los Angeles Lakers? Once again time will tell and we shall see. One thing is for certain this will be a good NBA season, no doubt about that!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment