<a href="http://hawks.realgm.com/showarticle.php?artid=171">According to Jason Walker on the Hawks Front office section of RealGM Hoop Net:</a> <b>Pistons Elect to Keep First Round Pick</b> The Hawks found out on Monday that the Detroit Pistons will not be sending the 23rd pick overall in the 2002 NBA Draft to the Hawks. The pick might have been sent to the Hawks, completing a trade with Houston that sent 2001 second round pick Terence Morris to the Rockets. The Rockets sent the rights to the pick owed them by Philadelphia, which in turned had been owed from the Pistons. The move was expected by Hawks GM Pete Babcock, who had noted a month ago that Pistons GM Joe Dumars had been leaning toward keeping the pick and adding more talent to a team that finished with 50 wins, but needed some more help to push them further in the playoffs. "We received a call late in the afternoon on Monday (June 10) from the Pistons, informing us of their intentions to keep their pick and it's what we expected them to do," said Babcock. The Hawks will now attempt to either make a deal to acquire a pick in the first round (not likely) or stand pat with their own pick early in the second round (#37). The Hawks would still like to deal around 10 million in salaries in combination with two future first rounders they are owed by other teams (HOU via DET, IND) and bring in a small forward type player that can fit in with the other core starters (Jason Terry, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff, DerMarr Johnson). With the Pistons holding onto the pick, it helps the Hawks in trying to make such a trade, as they will be able to package that pick in a trade after the draft. The Pistons owe the Hawks any first round pick before 2004. --------------------------------------------- end of article------------------- Obviously, we owe Atlanta a first round pick by 2004 in the Terrence Morris trade, but this article seems to go back to earlier opinions that the Detroit pick will be automatically conveyed to Atlanta, when Detroit chooses, not to Houston first. One way or the other, that means there are NO options for us with the #23 this year, since Detroit has decided to keep the pick.
That pick wouldn't be ours if the Pistons gave it up. It was ours and we traded it for Morris. We traded that specific pick, right? So it's not Houston has to give a pick by 2004; the Pistons have to give the pick by 2004 and it has to go to Atlanta whenever it's given. Right?
Here's a link to <a href="http://bbs.clutchcity.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34408">the earlier thread by barbourdg</a> on details concerning the 23rd pick, info regarding the Detroit pick and the trade with Atlanta for Morris.
The Rockets probably could had played MoT at the end of the year to play out his suspension, but no reason to risk re-injury. Plus, we were playing to get Ming this year, no more help was needed. Mission accomplished!!!!
