Getting Oden (highly unlikely someone will trade the top pick), Durant, Noah, McRoberts (but I'm not really sold on the Dukie), Young or splitter would be huge. Although I dont know too much about the giants (Thabeet or the Chinese guy, both 7'3+) you have to believe they have a huge upside.


Ideally I'd hope we trade for another first rounder use it to trade up and grab Durant, Noah or Young. With the lower pick grab one of those bigs that were mentioned earlier, if possible. Wishful thinking I guess...

I think Al Horford would be a great fit. He's a very smart player with a budding post game and solid touch. His basketball intelligence is his greatest asset. He just understands the game. He's a pure PF (not going to play Center at all).

If he goes top 5 then we're out of luck, but I can see him going a little lower than that and with the Orlando pick and our pick we should be able to get him.

Hobbs I too am a Al Horford fan. I think he would be a great replacement for RWallace (when his time in Detroit is finished). Although do we really need 2 picks next year? If they are serious about getting Delfino and JMax time on the court, plus finding Amir some time where are the going to find additional time for 2 new rookies? Not to mention we have Minnesota's 2nd round pick which may end up being a good value pick.. Even more we shouldn't discount the fact that Rip, Tay, Flip and Nazr are all relatively young. I haven't even mentioned the 2 second picks we had this year or Acker (all 3 I expect to see cut). The fact is the Pistons can only groom so many people at one time. I, like some on this forum, believe a deal is imminent and it will involve 1 if not both our picks.. I guess time will tell...

I think Amir is a legitimate prospect but he's nowhere near a sure thing, and I'd love for Delfino to play more, but beyond that we have nothing. Max's ceiling is a backup and the second round picks (outside Amir) are nothing to factor in.

Yes, our starters are fairly young, but... Chauncey is a free agent after this season, Sheed and Dice might get old real quick (and Dice could be gone in a year or two when he's a FA), Nazr is best as a backup, and Delfino and Amir will be free agents before long.

So, yes, we need two first round picks. We really need quality bigs to develop and we could definitely use a young point guard that actually has potential.

You can always use quality bigs and the top of this draft is loaded w/ them. If we could some how squeeze another first round pick out of someone and turn around and trade up then end up w/ 2 lottery picks, that would be sweet (far fetched I know). We have 2 second rounders which could help getting higher picks as well.

Correct me if I'm wrong Roscoe, but if Chauncey & Dyess both opt out of their contracts after this year wouldnt we have some cap space to work with??? Not to mention 3 or 4 expiring contracts that wouldnt be too hard to get rid of.

The near future doesnt look all that bad...

__________________
"We will not lose game 2...put it on the front page, back page, middle of the page, wherever, we will not lose game 2" - Rasheed Wallace after game 1 loss (on the road) to Indiana during the 2004 playoffs

If they opt out, they will immediately be FAs and we can't use their contracts in trade. They will create some salary room, but not enough to get us under the cap in a meaningful way.

I don't think Dyess will opt out, but stranger things have happened. The market for a 33 year old Dice will not be more than he is already making IMO.

Don't forget that Dice's option triggers not one more year, but two.

__________________
Nov 13 LW Milan Lucic had an active night. He scored his first goal in eight games since his Oct. 25 hat trick and also pounded Michael Komisarek in a third-period fight. Lucic cut his hand in a fight with Michael Komisarek. "I'll be fine," he said. "(X-rays are) negative, but there's so many broken bones in there from before you can't really tell."

From StoryTeller's contracts...

McDyess: 2008-09 is guaranteed if he plays 60+ games in 2007-08

http://www.storytellerscontracts.inf...07salaries.htm

However all of the other salary sites do not report the possibility of a 5th year.

__________________
Nov 13 LW Milan Lucic had an active night. He scored his first goal in eight games since his Oct. 25 hat trick and also pounded Michael Komisarek in a third-period fight. Lucic cut his hand in a fight with Michael Komisarek. "I'll be fine," he said. "(X-rays are) negative, but there's so many broken bones in there from before you can't really tell."

I vaguely remember Dumars saying there was no option when the contract was signed (they talked about it but decided against it).

And I'm almost 100% positive it only adds one year to the deal if there is one. I'm not even sure it's legal to have an option that adds 2 years anymore.

Alright, I'm taking 12-13 million off for assuming Dyess & Billups opt out, then I add back the recent signings / trades of Hunter, Flip & Dupree -which is about 4 or 5 million. Basing this off the site you just posted isnt this 8-10 million of cap space (depending on next years salary cap, of course)??? Is this years cap over 52 million?? What am I missing?

Maybe Hobbs will grab this one, there is a little research involved because my knowledge is lacking with regards to our first round picks and how they will count towards the cap once drafted but prior to signing (assuming they are not traded).

__________________
Nov 13 LW Milan Lucic had an active night. He scored his first goal in eight games since his Oct. 25 hat trick and also pounded Michael Komisarek in a third-period fight. Lucic cut his hand in a fight with Michael Komisarek. "I'll be fine," he said. "(X-rays are) negative, but there's so many broken bones in there from before you can't really tell."