ESPN's Chris Broussard reported on Twitter that the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves are discussing a three-team trade. If completed, the trade would give Cleveland the top two picks in the 2011 NBA Draft and Detroit's Richard Hamilton. Here is how:
-Detroit trades Hamilton and the eighth overall pick to Cleveland
-Cleveland sends the fourth and eighth overall picks to Minnesota
-Minnesota sends the second overall pick to Cleveland
The Cavaliers would get a $14.6 million trade exception for taking on Hamilton from the Pistons, who would move him to free up cap space if this deal plays out.
The reason this trade is filed as a rumor is because both Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News and Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press posted tweets contradicting Broussard's report. Goodwill says the Pistons wouldn't trade Hamilton since he's "almost becoming an expiring contract with the lockout coming," and they especially wouldn't give up a high pick in the process. Goodwill concedes that the Pistons could revisit this trade "in some form," but Ellis flat out said the Pistons aren't in discussions with Cleveland and Minnesota.