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By now you know the Pistons are going to pass on using the new collective bargaining agreement’s amnesty clause that allows teams to waive a cap-killing player.
I definitely understand some of the local reaction that the Pistons should have moved with haste to jettison Rip Hamilton (roughly $20 million over two years), Ben Gordon (around $35 million over three) or Charlie Villanueva ($22 million over three).
But the Pistons have the life of the new CBA to invoke the clause on a current contract, so it can be used in the next off-season if things don’t get better with those three players. The Pistons are confident in new coach Lawrence Frank, so it’s understandable to wait.
Retaining them also allows the Pistons to still entertain trade offers for them. But some insist that using the clause would allow the Pistons to free up money to go after a much-needed big man in this year’s free-agent class — such as the Nuggets’ Nene, the Mavs’ Tyson Chandler or Grizzlies restricted free agent Marc Gasol.
— Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press
