Pistons May Not Acquire Williams

A deal that would have sent Smush Parker and Horace Jenkins to Chicago for Frank Williams appears to be dead. Dumars had mentioned Chicago might pull out of the deal, and they were not happy when the media got wind of the trade deal.

The Pistons are on the hunt for a good backup point guard for Chauncey Billups. Lindsey Hunter has been disappointing this season, and the bench needs something.

Trades could be tough to find for the defending champs. Who would really want to help make Detroit -- a team coming off a championship -- better? It will be hard to find an eastern conference team to trade with, and the western conference teams might not be so quick to help the Pistons meet them in the finals.

Dumars has done a good job with acquisitions since he took over as President of Basketball Operations. Last season he traded for Rasheed Wallace and Mike James at the trade deadline. This trade solved every problem the Pistons had, and pushed them into the finals, where they took care of the Lakers in five games.

All is not hopeless. Dumars is a smart architect, and will find the right supplier to complete his team.

Freep.com: Trade for Williams appears to be dead