Pistons Likely To Get Rid Of Hamilton After The Lockout

There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the NBA lockout and the future of some players. What isn't too surprising is that when or if the lockout ends the Detroit Pistons will resume shopping Richard Hamilton.

This news isn't a surprise to anyone. Hamilton hasn't been the same player ever since Chauncey Billups was shipped to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. His production has tailed off, but I attribite that to the Pistons' decline. Clashing with former coaches Michael Curry and John Kuester didn't help either. The latter feud landed him an extended role on the bench. Call me what you want but I still feel Hamilton got a raw deal on that one. Of course many of us don't know what happened behind the scenes. At that point and time I probably would've traded Rip for a bobsled.

Some of it is perfromance related, but as I stated before you can tie his lack of production (14.1 points) last season to the team's all around bad performance. Hamilton did act like a spoiled child who figured since he has one championship under his belt that he should be given more respect. Hamilton lost a lot of respect with Piston fans over the last year.

The reason why he hasn't been dealt was because of the ridiculous contract extension Hamilton signed right before Billups was shipped out of town. The contract was a deal breaker but according to a report by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press it might not be as troublesome as it once seemed.

He's owed roughly $21 million over the next two seasons, as the second year is only partially guaranteed. And remember president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has almost traded Hamilton several times when the financial burden was greater.


We'll have to see what happens when the season resumes and see are the Pistons willing to let go of the remnants of the 2004 championship team.

Just Pull The Trigger Already

"I know the situation. I know how it went down and what was said and how it was said but even after that I never thought it would get to this point. Of course he is not going to play now. It is personal. You are going to have to trade him now. Rumors have persisted that Hamilton is a disruption and cancer for the team. He's heard the talk and doesn't like it".



Those were Ben Wallace's words after the Detroit Pistons beat the New Jersey Nets last night on Richard Hamilton's benching. Clearly Wallace isn't the only Piston that feels this way. I think the whole team feels Hamilton can help the team, but no matter what they say, there's nothing they can do about it. I'll stop short of saying conspiracy, but team president Joe Dumars must've sent this message to coach John Kuester from afar. Don't play him.

Hamilton was put on the inactive list for last night's game. A list for players that are injured. Rip's not injured or ill. He's just been benched and it hasn't been for the good of the team. I know Dumars wants this team to try and make an attempt to get to the playoffs. I don't agree with it but hey, he's the prez and I'm sitting at my kitchen table relaying my thoughts. If he wants to make a playoff push Hamilton wouldn't be doing woodwork on the sidelines. 

Wallace is right. It's a must they trade him now. All that means is if they do trade him they'll probably get a worse player in return with an equally bad contract. Those will be the only offers they get, unless a sweet three way deal comes along to ship Hamilton out of town. And I don't see any of those coming anytime soon, not with the way teams covet expiring contracts and young talent. That means they're stuck with each other for the forseeable future. By then there might be a full blown mutiny on this team, because they don't really like Kuester, nor do they respect him. I know the Pistons as an organization really can't move forward until they find a buyer for the team, so this situation as a whole will get a whole lot worse before it shows any signs of getting better.  

Rip Hamilton Out With The Flu. Really?

Richard Hamilton is sidelined for yet another Detroit Pistons game, this time for the flu. Is it really the flu or would there be some extra fireworks considering Hamilton's friend and longtime backcourt mate Chauncey Billups rolls into town with the Denver Nuggets tonight.

I find the flu thing quasi legit. I would never question one's health. But if you add sit back and add up everything it looks kind of fishy to me. Coach John Kuester and Hamilton haven't been the best of friends and Rip has been riding oak for over a week. The benching was thought to be a result of a trade that never materialized between the Pistons, Nuggets, and New Jersey Nets. Now he's just sitting there with a $12 million price tag and no takers.

I'm baffled as to why Hamilton 's not playing. Although I do feel they need to play their younger players and take their lumps, but he's clearly one of the Pistons' better players and in the NBA you play your best players to win. I agree with Billups' comment that it's disrespectful. Hamilton is someone that helped the franchise to the mountain top and this is his reward? I don't get it. Is this an edict from Joe Dumars? Or has Kuester had enough of Hamilton and won't play him at all. I don't think Dumars would give Kuester such an order. With the way things are going they're going to have to get rid of Rip for a bobsled.

As far as tonight's game goes, I have a feeling Hamilton was told to stay away. With Billups playing major minutes on the court, I think it would've been highly likely that Hamilton would've blown up. It has to be eating him up inside and to his credit he's been above it. It would've hurt him to see his good friend on the court while he's rotting away on the bench. This is puzzling and I'll be tuned in to see what happens.

Dumars Was Wise Not To Buy Into This Deal

In another episode of  'As The Melo Turns' , Carmelo Anthony's agent Leon Rose has been trying to drag the Detroit Pistons into the discussion.

Everyone knows Anthony wants out of Denver and is trying to get to the New York Knicks or the New Jersey Nets. Everyone knows that both the Knicks and Nets are desperately trying to get the deal done. Also everyone knows the Detroit Pistons want to get rid of Richard Hamilton  and their 2 year , $25 million they have committed to him for the next two years. That's where Rose comes in. Rose also represents Hamilton. Rose somehow talked Nets general manager Billy King into asking about Hamilton. The result was that New Jersey proposed sending Troy Murphy and his expiring deal and Johan Petro for Detroit's 2011 first round draft pick and Hamilton. Dumars shot that one down, not wanting to part with the draft pick.

Kudos to Dumars. When i first read that, I thought why would he want Petro. Murphy maybe but I wouldn't give up the pick either. Dumars' draft record isn't pretty, but he does know the art of the trade. Witness the Rasheed Wallace deal back in 2004 to get the Pistons over the hump. Or how he turned Mateen Cleaves and Rodney White into Jon Barry and a first round pick respectively. Dumars will trade Hamilton. Just because the Pistons are in a bad spot doesn't mean that Dumars will trade for the sake of trading. He'll wait for the right deal to come along and not give Hamilton away for a bobsled and a bag of basketballs.

Personally, I can't wait to see if the Pistons will be part of this deal or not. The rebuilding of the Pistons is overdue.