Trademaster Hottoddie and cohorts: Would you trade Steve Francis and Griff for Detroit's #2 and Chauncey Billups + cap fodder? I'd hate to trade Griffin but would this make sense and help both teams?
That makes a lot of sense. The only problem I could see is that it would force Ben Wallace to C, something the Pistons definitely don't want.
imagine having the #2 pick. PG - Billups SG - Mobley SF - Posey PF - Darko C - Yao Ming it would be the twin towers, Yao 22, Darko 18, imagine that tandem playing together for years to come
That's possible -- but it's also possible Darko might mirror Pau Gasol. Besides MoT would be the starter under that scenario unless Darko earned the PT. However, this is just a "what if" scenario -- fun until the real decision-makers do something.
I would do it. Definitely. The cap fodder should be Cliff Robinson or Jon Barry or Tayshaun Prince. I just don't expect it to happen. Billups and Darko would be nice. WHO SAID WE HAD TO PICK DARKO? I WANT CARMELO!
I dont think this scenario gives the Rockets enough in return. Darko Milicic could be a great player one day, but he hasnt proven anything yet. Steve Francis we know is atleast an All Star caliber player that can put up 20 PPG and is probably in the top 20 overall in the NBA. Plus, I would need to be sure that Milicic can slide over to the 3 spot and not be exclusively a 4. My concern is that with a Yao and Milicic frontcourt, the Rockets could be a great offensive team but very sub par on defense. Chauncey Billups is not the type of PG that would solve this team's problem; he is essentially a SG playing the PG position. The only deal I would really be interested in with Detroit would return Rip Hamilton and the #2 for something along the lines of Steve and Cato. The Pistons clearly do need more scoring if they are going to the next level, and Steve definitely would provide them that. The Rockets would then have the flexibility to use Mobley and/or Griffin in a trade to get a solid PG. Rip Hamilton is excellent at moving w/o the ball and playing within a team oriented offense which would work well with Yao. The only potential problem is that his 3 pt range is not the best. The Pistons definitely do have the cap room to fit Steve's BYC so something could be done w/o involving a 3rd team. However, I just cant see the Rockets trading Steve Francis with them moving into a new stadium. Plus, with Larry Brown quite possibly becoming the next coach, I think it would be crazy to deal Francis w/o giving Brown a shot to use him at SG. I honestly feel that with Brown in place, Francis's transition to the 2 spot would be very smooth. I tend to agree with the group of posters that feel that Francis could be as valuable as Kobe, McGrady, Iverson etc if he just had the appropriate coaching which Brown would provide. 26-5-5 is very possible if Francis makes the move.
They'd need to find a way to deal Mobley and Griffin for a PG, or find another gem like Eric Snow before attempting that.
There's no way I'd do that one. Like Shark44 said, Steve is a 2 time all-star starter who's only gonna get better for the next few years, and Griff is only like 20 years old. They have a lot left in their careers, as opposed to Billups who already got injured in the last series, and a rookie who hasn't even played a game.
If I am Detroit, I laugh at CD if I calls on that one. Billups came on VERY strong in the playoffs and towards the end of the year. He is a legit PG and might break the top 10 next year. Plus, he has a VERY cap friendly contract of 6 years/$33 MIL that lasts until 2008. He plays good D also, which is what Detroit's team is built around. Griffin is not even worth the 13th pick in the draft, much less the #2 pick.
No, I am not. I am saying that trading Billups for Francis does not necessarily guarantee Detroit more wins. What they gain on offense, they will lose on defense. Billups has come through in the heat of the playoffs. Francis leadership capabilities at the PG are in question right now. Is Nash better than Francis? Probably not. Would Dallas trade him for Steve? Probably not. Is Bibby better than Francis? Probably not. Would Sacramento trade him for Steve? Probably not. Just because a player is better than another, doesn't mean a team would automatically pull the trigger on a trade.
Billups has more chance of being the next Austin Croshere(great playoff series then back to obscurity) than being the next Steve Francis(All star PG).
I understand that. It just seems to me that the main thing Detroit needs is someone to pick up the scoring. If they think Darko is the guy, thats good for them. I think this package would be very, very appealing to them despite Francis' defensive problems, especially if they don't want to wait for Darko to develop. I don't think that getting Francis would give them more wins over the regular season (and definitely not lose enough wins to not make the playoffs in the east as a top 4 seed), but it would probably translate to more wins in the playoffs, as it is more star driven in the playoffs.
You make solid points, although comparing Billups to Francis isn't really fair to Steve. However, the Pistons are said to have done some serious scouting on Darko and are ready to pick him, so it may take more than what we offer to get the pick. On the other hand, the Pistons #1 weakness is obvious...they don't have enough offensive prowess. Steve would definitely bring this, and, in Carlisle's system, with Hamilton popping off screens, Steve's assist:turnover ratio could become real solid as he becomes more disciplined. In either case, if you can find a trade that works here, I think it is something that is considered. Both GM"s would have to think long and hard about the above scenario, and, I don't think eitehr would be seen as a complete idiot around the league if the deal goes down. Insert Cato for Griffin and it becomes more enticing, imo, as Cato could be a beast (defensively and rebounding) in the east. Of course, this only adds more salary from our end, making the deal more difficult.
