Cato to Detroit?

[ABDENOUR POWER]

There has been talk about this for a long time. It has been confirmed that Orlando has offered Detroit Kelvin Cato and a first round draft pick for Darko Milicic and Carlos Arroyo. Something of note - the draft pick could turn out to be a very good one since Orlando is such a poor team.

Do you think that Detroit should do this trade? It would mean giving up on Darko, but it would also give a them a nice pick and a big body to throw at Shaq. Another thing is that Cato has an expiring contract, freeing up some cap space to re-sign Big Ben.

[Brutalis]

it will be a conditional first rounder... you should know that through common sense.

i dont fully believe orlando want darko that bad. in return for two duds. ... but this is orlando, known for brilliant trades.

[SlasherX]

well rumor is that it will be unprotected pick other wise detroit will not do Darko/Arroyo for Cato and 1st.

[Pistons < Spurs]

This will not happen. It was rejected last month.

Darko was not expected to do anything his first 3 years. He was for the future. You don't give up on a #2 pick especially when he's an athletic 7 footer who can shoot from outside. Dumars will at least give him next year to get some 'legitimate' minutes until he decides to give up on him.

[FreshPrince22]

it will be a conditional first rounder... you should know that through common sense.

i dont fully believe orlando want darko that bad. in return for two duds. ... but this is orlando, known for brilliant trades.
ehhh... this draft prettty much sucks if you're not in the top 3-4. I'd assume that rolling the dice on a chance to get Morrison/Gay/Aldridge would be the only reason Dumars does this. Therefor I highly doubt Dumars even thinks about it if there is any serious protection on it.

[bdubya]

Right; our biggest weakness is lack of depth at PG (well, recently there have been other issues), and we've got some GOOD rookies who won't see the floor until next fall at the earliest, so Joe is gonna trade our #2 PG to bring in....front line help and an iffy draft pick.

That Orlando hydro must be WICKED. :smokin

[Budkin]

it will be a conditional first rounder... you should know that through common sense.

i dont fully believe orlando want darko that bad. in return for two duds. ... but this is orlando, known for brilliant trades.

The Magic are my other favorite team, I've been following them since their inagural season and there is no doubt that they have been cursed since Shaq bolted for LA. The fact that they have two idiots in the role of GM doesn't help either. I hope they can work something out before Dwight Howard leaves.

[jochhejaam]

There has been talk about this for a long time. It has been confirmed that Orlando has offered Detroit Kelvin Cato and a first round draft pick for Darko Milicic and Carlos Arroyo. Something of note - the draft pick could turn out to be a very good one since Orlando is such a poor team.

Do you think that Detroit should do this trade? It would mean giving up on Darko, but it would also give a them a nice pick and a big body to throw at Shaq. Another thing is that Cato has an expiring contract, freeing up some cap space to re-sign Big Ben.
Cato's averaging about 3 and 3, Arroyo's been playing very well lately IMO, and Darko, at 20 years old, still has a big upside so I say No Way.

[Pistons < Spurs]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2331049


Pistons close to deal that would end Darko experiment


Two things it now appears that these Detroit Pistons won't do: Win 70 games or continue the Darko Milicic experiment.


NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday night that the Pistons and Orlando Magic were close to completing a long-discussed trade that would relocate Milicic, 2003's No. 2 overall pick, to central Florida. The trade could be completed as early as Wednesday, sources said, with only one potential snag.

The sides, according to sources, are bartering over the extent of lottery protection Orlando would have on the first-round pick it has agreed to send Detroit along with center Kelvin Cato for Milicic and guard Carlos Arroyo.

It's thought Orlando is seeking to retain this year's first-round pick -- and convey its 2007 first-rounder to Detroit instead -- if the Magic's pick winds up in the top seven of the June draft. The deal would collapse if the sides can't come to a resolution -- with Detroit looking to reduce Orlando's level of protection by a few spots -- but it's clear the Pistons have made the decision to move Milicic before the Feb. 23 trading deadline after giving him a chance to earn a rotation spot under new coach Flip Saunders.

Milicic hasn't played much more for Saunders than he did for Larry Brown, unleashing a new wave of second-guesses on Detroit's decision to draft the Serbian 7-footer over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade ... even though the Pistons won the championship in Darko's rookie season and came within one game of a repeat title last season.

Yet, even if Milicic had established himself as a rotation regular under Saunders, it's doubtful the Pistons could have afforded to retain him beyond this summer. With Ben Wallace bound for free agency in July and Chauncey Billups expected to seek a lucrative contract extension before becoming a free agent in the summer of 2007, Detroit needs Cato's expiring contract ($8.6 million this season) to create the salary-cap space to re-sign both comfortably and keep together its vaunted starting lineup.

After Wallace and Billups re-sign, all five Pistons starters will possess contracts averaging at least $10 million per season -- an NBA rarity but a necessity for Pistons president Joe Dumars given the success and relative youth (Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace are both 31) of the group.

While Orlando continues to explore its Steve Francis trade options, this move would give Milicic a chance to play immediately alongside franchise forward Dwight Howard. It might also eventually give the Magic two highly touted but unproven European big men for its frontcourt rotation, with the Magic still hopeful they will have 2005 first-round pick Fran Vazquez (who controversially elected to play in Spain this season) in the near future.

[BillupsMVP]

We All love the human victory cigar but we also know that he is no good the only thing hes good for is a laugh like tonight when he comes out with the shaved head and air balls a 3 then shoots a fade away one footer after gettin fouled. time to move him on he will prolly do good some where else but this just isnt the place

[rascal]

If this trade happens look for Francis to be traded soon. They really want to trade Francis. He'll probably land with the Knicks.

Nelson as the starter and Arroyo as backup, will be the pg's.

[Pistons < Spurs]

If this trade happens look for Francis to be traded soon. They really want to trade Francis. He'll probably land with the Knicks.

Nelson as the starter and Arroyo as backup, will be the pg's.


Yep...apparently, in order for the Darko trade to happen, the Francis trade must take place first.....I beleive it is supposed to be a 3 team deal including the Nuggets......KMart?

[bdubya]

Right; our biggest weakness is lack of depth at PG (well, recently there have been other issues), and we've got some GOOD rookies who won't see the floor until next fall at the earliest, so Joe is gonna trade our #2 PG to bring in....front line help and an iffy draft pick.

That Orlando hydro must be WICKED. :smokin


:oops
or maybe Joe D knows this stuff better than me.

[mavsfan1000]

Dumb trade by Detroit. DARKO POWER has got to be depressed after this. :lolhttp://www.freewebs.com/laisshit834/bio.htm :lmao

[jochhejaam]

We've got to come up with a back-up PG in the deal (Spree? I know he's a shooting guard). I notice Delfino's been playing in the backcourt with Billups and doing a heck of a job on defense but I don't think he's a playmaker.

In Joe We Trust? :lol

[Darrin]

This has to be a 2006 pick or the deal doesn't make sense. There's too much uncertainty with their roster and it's easy to make the playoffs in the East. I mean, look at what Chicago was able to do with adding Ben Gordon and Luol Deng in one draft. They won like 24 more games in one season.

If the Magic can add this Vasquez guy with Darko and a high pick in 2006, the Pistons could be left with a very bad pick in 2007, and they will have wasted the biggest upset in the history of the league - Otis Thorpe for the #2 pick in the draft. Dumars does this deal and it doesn't work out big, this will go down as his William Bedford and the Pistons won't contend beyond this group of starters.

[theMUHMEshow]

Done deal....

2007 pick though

[Pistons < Spurs]

2007 pick though


Terrible...terrible...terrible.

[ABDENOUR POWER]

Can't say that I like this....

[Marklar MM]

Oh well. Joe must have something up his sleeve...Say Cato and a couple 1st rounders for, uh, Manu. :)

[ABDENOUR POWER]

Oh well. Joe must have something up his sleeve...Say Cato and a couple 1st rounders for, uh, Manu. :)

Who needs Manu, we've got Delfino!

Delfino > Ginobili

:hat

[T.F. Storm]

When did Joe D. take up drinking?

[Pistons < Spurs]

This will not happen. It was rejected last month.

Darko was not expected to do anything his first 3 years. He was for the future. You don't give up on a #2 pick especially when he's an athletic 7 footer who can shoot from outside. Dumars will at least give him next year to get some 'legitimate' minutes until he decides to give up on him.


So much for me being the GM of the team........ :rolleyes

[Horry For 3!]

Who needs Manu, we've got Delfino!

Delfino > Ginobili

:hat
:lmao

[Darrin]

When did Joe D. take up drinking?

Whatever he's into, I want some. That's some serious shit.

The Pistons wasted the number 2 pick in the draft. The Pistons wasted the number 2 pick in the draft. The Pistons wasted the number 2 pick in the draft. The Pistons wasted the number 2 pick in the draft. The Pistons wasted the number 2 pick in the draft. The Pistons wasted the number 2 pick in the draft. The Pistons wasted the number 2 pick in the draft. The Pistons wasted the number 2 pick in the draft. The Pistons wasted the number 2 pick in the draft.

My head is spinning...

[WayDowntownBang]

Why is the sky falling for you guys? Darko was a bust. We have to give up and move on. Whatever you do, make sure you forget that we've got 9 losses at the All Star break. The problem is, you guys are making this out to be more of a deal than it is.

We took a shot at Darko (99% of all GMs at the time agreed with the move), and it didn't work. It's not like Chauncey just signed with Orlando. If your head is spinning because we got rid of Darko, you need to sit back, enjoy the All Star game, and get your mindset back on the playoffs. The sky is not falling.

[Marklar MM]

Dumars was interviewed on 1270 am. He said that the deal gives the Pistons 15 mil or so to work with over the summer with resigning Ben and extending Billups. Said Darko could have tried harder while he was here, and that both parties agreed weeks before that it was time for both to part ways.

Also being reported is that Detroit is going after Earl Watson, Brevin Knight, or Tyronn Lue.

[mavsfan1000]

Still a dumb trade. They could've gotten a lot more than they got for Darko.

[Billups]

I am gonna miss them :(

[FreshPrince22]

:lmao

You will feel Delfino's wrath :fro