I heard both Hammonds and Dumars deny any pressure from above. Not sure if I believe it.

Joe D must have been slightly desperated to give away Darko AND CA only for an expiring contract and a PROTECTED pick.
If he hasn't anything in petto, this is a bad deal, because I don't like the idea of keeping Ben for any price, even for losing a pretty decent backup PG. We are not thinking of the future yet and withoug a good backup PG, the run to the title is going to be hard, very hard. I hope Joe D is going to make another trade that brings a good backup PG to Detroit.

I would be tempted to just make Delfino the 3rd guard. - Think he can handle it? He has been asking for extra PT so this is the opportunity.

Delfino is a good, solid backup who is steadily improving and might become pretty decent player- at the 2 spot, maybe at the 3.
But PG? I'd love to see him being able to be a good backup PG. But I simply can't believe in it. He's not such a great passer, imho and using him at the 1,2 and 3 would cut the number of possible units.

Abe Froemen
We can bring in a player or two and still sign Ben and C-Note. If they are the right players. If Cato is broke down, then another draft choice (in 07 or 08) will do. But we ain't giving up nary a draft choice a-tall.

I think Joe really wanted to place Darko on a team where he could get a chance to play. Maybe it wasn't the best deal- just the best fit for all parties involved. Who knows, maybe we re-sign Darko in a couple of years as a free agent? OK probably not.

Sorry, I don't by it. Joe D's responsibility is to get the Pistons the best deal. If that isn't the case, he should step down right now.

To think that he would take a lesser deal so poor little Darko feels better doesn't fly. "Well, Minnesota is offering us KG and a first rounder, but I think Darko would be happier in Orlando, so I think I'll take my chances with Kato instead".

Any team that trades for Darko is going to be one willing to give him a chance to play. Why would someone trade for him if they weren't going to play him?

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Darko apparently requested the trade- he isn't going to want to go to a team where he won't play! Joe Dumars did the same thing with Rodney White. Think about it, we got an expiring contract and a 1st round pick for RW- who went to a team that could afford to give him PT.

Joe is doing these guys a favor.

If Darko did indeed request the trade, I agree that it was in everyone's best interest to make a move now. I'm fine with that. But to say that Joe D took a lesser deal, just to make Darko happier is what I have a problem with.

As I said in my last post, any team willing to trade for Darko is going to be willing to give him minutes. So that means any team he goes to, he would be getting his wish of more PT. I think that's where Joe's loyalty ends. He granted Darko's request for a trade. Something he may or may not have done anyway, had Darko not asked (assuming he did). But to sell a company asset for less than market value, just to be nice? Darko didn't have a no trade clause and had absolutely zero leverage. What was he going to do, sit out? He already was.

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Lesser deal or better deal is just a matter of perspective. I don't know what else was on the table, but there were probably pros and cons to every proposal. Joe isn't going to turn down a great trade for a mediocre one...the Orlando deal probably just made the most sense for "everyone" involved.