Besides their connection on the I-94 in Michigan, their franchises have been linked throughout their histories.

The Pistons and Bulls battled throughout the 1980s for Midwestern and NBA supremacy, meeting one another for some classic battles.

The Pistons were the dominant franchise in the '80s, the Bulls were dominant in the '90s and the Pistons again in the 2000s.

Now it is the Bulls' turn.

The Pistons groomed Dennis Rodman to become a Bulls legend, and the Bulls thought the same was going to be true with Ben Wallace.

The fact of the matter is that these two rivals will always have a place of hatred in one another's hearts.

Now it is time for these two teams to do business once again.

But this time, it won't be on the court.

The Bulls are a perimeter scoring shooting guard away from title contention.

The Pistons need a small forward with class that can ease the loss of Tayshaun Prince.

That is why it is time for the Pistons to deal Ben Gordon back to the Bulls for Luol Deng.

Deng and Gordon were teammates through some lean years in Chicago. They were a couple of class-act players from two storied college teams in Connecticut and Duke. They even were rumored to be dealt together for Kobe Bryant a number of years ago.

But now, they are staring at two different realizations.

Deng no longer has a true place on this Bulls team. He has had a good career with Chicago, but his limitations showed during last year's playoffs when he shot only 42 percent.

Chicago is a very good inside-outside team with a slasher at the point that can score at will in Derrick Rose. The only problem is that they don't really have the outside part of that equation.

Gordon is a clutch player that can spread an offense like few others can. His range is unlimited, and once the game is on the line, there are few players that can fill it up like he can.

Gordon would immediately take the shackles off of Carlos Boozer and Rose, essentially creating a whole new dimension to their offense.

Obviously, defensively he is beyond limited, though not for a lack of effort. Gordon is small for a shooting guard.

Luckily for Chicago, Rose is big for a point guard and highly effective as a defender, especially in transition.

For Detroit, Deng is the perfect type of player for this young team. He has always been a worker, and on top of that he is a calming influence in the locker room. For a team that faced player revolts last year, Deng is just the type of player you want.

Deng is a professional, something that you want your young core of Brandon Knight, Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye and Greg Monroe around.

Overall, there are few roadblocks to this type of deal. One in particular is what will Chicago do with their small forward position. Sure, Kyle Korver can spend some time there and so can Rasual Butler. But they will likely have to upgrade this spot in free agency.

There have been rumblings that Caron Butler wants to go there, and that would immediately alleviate that problem.

For Detroit, this is a win-win situation. You free yourself of what has been a mistake signing and move your team forward in the right direction.

This is your quintessential perfect trade.

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So from here on out, I will just delve right into the article, and ignore the 800-pound gorilla in the room. But, again, I don't think we will have an NBA season. There is a reckoning brewing by the owners, and the players will be lucky to get half of what they want, let alone all.

Regardless, I can't help thinking about the upcoming (eventual) NBA season, and some of the great story lines, especially in Detroit.

This is a team that is finally able to start making tangible moves for the future given, of course, that their ownership group is as serious as advertised.

I believe they are, and the recent firing of the useless Eli Zaret is yet another indicator that there is a new sheriff in town.

But what I keep coming back to is the move to draft Brandon Knight, the explosive combo guard from Kentucky over Kemba Walker, the explosive combo guard out of Connecticut.

Now keep in mind, I had been advocating for Walker for about a year prior to the draft. His quickness, leadership and scoring prowess, despite his slight frame reminded me of Isiah Thomas, my all-time favorite player.

Walker showed during the Big East Tournament, and later in the NCAA March Madness, that he was the real deal, and capable of putting a team on his back and willing them to victory.

He seemed to be the perfect fit for Detroit, and this new era of Pistons.

But a funny thing happened on the way to drafting Walker. A consensus top-three pick, Knight, slipped in the draft all the way down to Detroit.

While I was live blogging for this website, I found myself completely torn when it came time for Detroit to draft.

On the one hand, you need to draft the best player available, which was definitely Knight. He was groomed as the next in a long line of great point guards under John Calipari, and some thought he would be as good as his predecessor, John Wall.

You have to take the best guy on the board, right?

On the other hand, Walker is more proven. We have a body of work to consult that is much more impressive than Knight's. Knight has the measureables; the quickness, the range on his jump shot. But Walker has the intangibles, the leadership qualities and, despite a slight frame, the toughness.

Both are lightning quick, both are shoot-first point guards and both have the potential to be very good point guards at this level.

So, why exactly was it that I wasn't disappointed that Detroit drafted Knight over Walker?

For the better part of the last few months, I have asked myself that question. I should be steaming over the fact that a player whom I have grown terribly fond of, that reminds me of Piston's royalty, was passed over for a guy that might not put it all together.

But recently, I had my answer.

I was writing an article about the most disappointing Pistons of all time, and I came across Mateen Cleaves.

Cleaves and Walker had a very similar run. They were known for their leadership ability, their intangibles and the way they willed their teams to NCAA championships.

But Cleaves turned out to be a train-wreck of a player, and was out of the league within five years of being drafted.

Now of course, there are major differences between these two players. Walker is a better shooter, is quicker and is a much better scorer.

But he is also much shorter, not nearly as strong physically and not as true of a point guard. He also is coming down from a true natural high of guiding his team to the promised land after a storybook season.

Personally, this has shades of the prom king in high school that is now unemployed and sitting at the local pub bragging about his prowess.

Regardless, there are real similarities between the two, and a reason to fear that Walker could in fact fizzle at this level.

Now look at Knight. Most people compare him to Chauncey Billups, although more athletic. He is a strong willed kid that comes across in interviews as a very grounded and humble guy.

More than that, he has a chip on his shoulder. He expected to go top three, and when he slipped to Detroit, his disappointment was unmistakeable. He wasn't bummed that Detroit drafted him, he was bummed that Detroit had the opportunity to draft him.

The NBA is a grind. It is a year-long endeavor that separates those that have the desire from those that don't.

And when it comes down to a pointless game in January against the last place Minnesota Timberwolves, who do you want running your team? A guy that is coming off of a spectacular season in which everyone told him how great he was, or a guy that is trying to prove to the world that he was better than those drafted above him?

True, I was a huge Walker fan, and I wish for the best for him. But I think Detroit is really going to see themselves in Knight, and he will have by far the better career.

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The goal for the new Tom Gores-led franchise was to bring in someone with head coaching experience who could bring back the old style of Pistons basketball.

While most fans were hoping for former player Bill Laimbeer to get the job, it became apparent that he was not strongly considered.

Therefore, it came down to a choice between Lawrence Frank and Mike Woodson.

Some have speculated that Frank was owner Tom Gores' choice and Woodson was team president Joe Dumars' choice. This speculation will probably never be substantiated, so to explore it further is pointless.

The bottom line is that Frank has been brought in to coach this team, and the front office will all hold hands in backing him up.

That was the easy part. Here comes the hard part.

Of course, the season is far from assured to happen. The owners are currently locking out the players, and the season is very much in jeopardy.

Personally, I think it will be at least a year before this lockout gets resolved. But that is neither here nor there. Frank has a lot of work to do, so it really doesn't matter how long the lockout lasts. Eventually, there will be basketball again and there needs to be a lot of changes in Detroit.

Here are five things Coach Frank must do.

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The good news is that there are now only five games remaining in this ongoing purgatory of a season.

And while there is still plenty of unrest that must be settled in Detroit, namely the ownership, general management, and coaching situations, it is never too early to start scouting players that the next regime could potentially use in the upcoming season.

Obviously different coaches focus on different players, but talent is talent and you can never have enough.

Most likely, Detroit will have the seventh worst record in the league when the season ends. While the draft lottery will add intrigue to the situation, the Pistons likely will have a pick in the middle of the lottery.

Of course not all the draft eligible players have declared for the draft, but most can agree on which players have the most to gain by declaring.

That being said, here are the 10 players that could be coming to Motown next season.

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To be fair, expectations were not exactly sky high to begin with. This is a team in transition in more ways than one. They are trying to transition from the championship core of the last decade and move towards a younger group of players. They also have the looming sale of the team hanging above their heads, effectively handcuffing management with a roster that is not built to succeed.

Add to that some controversy, a log jam, and some key injuries and you have a team that, on most nights, is struggling to compete.

However, things haven't been all bad and over the past month, this team has exhibited a pulse that makes the future seem a lot less bleak.

That being said, here are the Pistons' mid-season grades.

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However, the more important deal is no doubt the prospective sale of the team to California-based billionaire Tom Gores.

The Hamilton deal will shed the Pistons of a large contract, clear up playing time in a log-jammed back court and effectively transition from the past to the future.

The Gores deal determines whether or not the team stays in Auburn Hills, let alone Michigan.

This may seem like hyperbole, but make no mistake about it: This deal is huge for Pistons fans.

Over the past year, there have been a host of people rumored to be involved in buying the Pistons. There was the Magic Johnson rumor, the Mike Illitch rumor and even a potential Middle Eastern sheik rumor.

Of all those connected to the sale of the Pistons, Gores is by far the best option for Detroit. He is from outside of Flint, he went to Michigan State and he still owns some businesses in Michigan.

He also has expressed an interest in helping out the economy in his home state.

The worst thing that could have happened would have been if an outside business or investor bought the team. While the team is worth a lot (Forbes estimates it is the fourth most valuable team at $479 million), it is due mainly to the fact that the Palace of Auburn Hills is paid for.

Therefore, it makes the most sense for the team to remain at the Palace rather than try to build a new arena.

However, an outsider might be tempted to move the team away from Auburn Hills and perhaps outside of Michigan.

Pittsburgh has a bustling economy and would welcome a basketball team; Seattle too has a strong economy and would love to replace their Super Sonics; Las Vegas remains a dream for some, but their weak economy would make it a long shot.

Regardless, most would agree that the best outcome for the Pistons would be for their new owner to keep the team in Auburn Hills.

Some have argued that Illitch represented the best option for the Pistons, considering his strong ties to Detroit. Additionally, Illitch wants to relocate the Red Wings to a new arena downtown and if he owned the Pistons, he could move both teams into the new location, likely near the gentrified area new Comerica Park and the Illitch headquarters at Fox Theater.

However, Illitch already owns the Red Wings and Tigers. Does it really make sense for one owner to own three-fourths of a town's sports teams?

During the early years of his Red Wings ownership, Tigers fans were often heard complaining that while Illitch spent generously on his Wings, he neglected the Tigers. Only after hockey instituted a salary cap did Illitch start to treat his Tigers with the same kind of love.

Would a similar fate befall the Pistons if he bought them?

Also, what happens when Illitch dies? He won't live forever, so could we have a similar situation that we had when William Davidson passed? If you remember, the whole reason we are with an apathetic owner now is because Davidson died and left the team to his wife, Karen, who did not share her late husband's passion for the Pistons.

It is impossible to know if Marian Illitch would share Davidson's apathy, but I personally would feel a little more comfortable with a younger owner such as Gores.

The most important reason, however, that Gores is the best option for the Pistons is the reason why Illitch would be a less than ideal owner; Gores does not own anything else that would sap his energy and attention like Illitch does.

Sure, Gores owns many businesses across the globe, but he does not own any professional sports teams; this means he could potentially become a Mark Cuban-like owner that would treat his team like his baby, using his vast fortune (an estimated $3 billion) to his advantage and restoring the competitive flare that this once proud franchise is known for.

Arguably the happiest person in this whole situation is team president Joe Dumars. Had Illitch bought the team, he would almost certainly be on his way out, likely replaced by his former right-hand man Tom Wilson, who now works for Illitch.

With Gores as owner, Dumars at least has a fighting chance at saving his job. The Hamilton deal is a step in the right direction. If Dumars can present his new owner with a franchise full of young players with relatively small contracts (Ben Gordon notwithstanding) and a likely top five lottery pick, his chances get a lot better.

The bottom line is that Gores could breathe new life into a franchise that has suddenly become stale and stagnant.

Obviously, Gores could turn into the second coming of Donald Sterling or worse yet, he could become Howard Schultz.

To those who don't know the tragic story of Schultz, ask a Sonics fan sometime.

The Starbucks billionaire decided on a whim to buy his hometown Sonics. He then essentially pleaded poverty to get a new arena built by the taxpayers. When this fell through, he sold the team to a businessman with no ties to Seattle.

Shortly after that, the Sonics were no more.

Of course, it is way too soon to know exactly what to expect from Gores. But it is safe to say that he is the best possible option for Pistons fans.

However, that sentence could easily come back to haunt me, as billionaires and their tendencies are not exactly in my wheelhouse.

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Late Friday night, the rumor around the league was that the newest member of the needed three-team deal to land the Denver Nuggets superstar to the East Coast is none other than the Pistons.

The reason that a third team is needed to land Melo is two-fold. First, the salaries need to match up, which New Jersey alone can not make happen. Second, Denver is still looking for at least three No. 1 picks to be included in the deal, and New Jersey would like to have another team's first rounder to pair with its next two.

The proposed trade in its current form would involve Carmelo and Chauncey Billups heading to Jersey with Detroit jettisoning Richard Hamilton to the Nets as well, effectively reuniting the former Pistons backcourt. Detroit would then take on Troy Murphy's expiring contract and at least one young player with Denver then receiving Devin Harris, Derick Favors and three first round draft picks.

If this deal goes through, Denver and New Jersey both come out huge winners here.

However, Detroit would have to be the dumbest franchise this side of New Orleans to pull the trigger on this deal.

The Pistons desperately want to get rid of Hamilton. He has a big contract, has pouted incessantly and his skills have eroded. He is the $21 million albatross hanging around the franchise's neck.

But this deal would effectively handicap any chance Detroit has on pulling out of its downward spiral.

The first round pick that Detroit would lose would be a likely top-five lottery pick. Unlike the NFL, NBA high draft picks are gold. The league has a rookie salary scale, meaning that lottery picks come relatively cheaply.

For a team with plenty of money committed long term, such as the Pistons, the lottery is the only way to improve relatively quickly.

It is way too early to determine whether this year's draft will be a deep one, but all indications are that it will be. Imagine Detroit being in a position to draft the next Blake Griffin, D-Wade or their own Carmelo Anthony.

Now imagine being the general manager that trades away a shot at grabbing one of those guys. Not a pretty picture.

Team president Joe Dumars has made some terrible moves over the past five years, but even he would never be this dumb. Look for him to stay involved in this discussion for a day or so, but this trade will never materialize in its current form. If Denver lightens its stance and instead takes back two second rounders in addition to the two first rounders, then we can talk.

But more than likely, much like Cleveland, Portland and a host of other teams that were discussed in a potential Melo deal, Detroit will pull its name out of the hat and New Jersey and Denver will try to rope another team into their threesome.

Don't get me wrong, I love about 90 percent of this deal, but the first rounder is just too much to give up.

Back to the drawing board, Mr. Dumars.

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Following a controversial benching/sickness before a game last week, Hamilton and Pistons president Joe Dumars had a talk after which both sides came away saying all the right things.

Dumars reiterated that Hamilton was committed to the team and would remain a Piston.

Hamilton responded by having his best game of the season, torching Toronto for 35 points off the bench.

End of story, right? Not so fast.

The Hamilton/Dumars discussion was about one thing, saving Rip's trade value.

Dumars has made some dumb moves over the past five years, but he is not a dumb man. He knows that the key for his rebuilding project is whether or not he can deal Hamilton. And he knows that a sulking, slumping, upset Hamilton will be nearly impossible to unload given his large salary.

In my opinion Dumars likely expressed this to Hamilton, telling him to embrace his role, and in return, Dumars will boost Hamilton's options.

From a logical standpoint, it behooves Hamilton to embrace a super sub role for Detroit. He can prove that he still has it and either force head coach John Kuester to start him again, or entice an outside club to see him as the missing piece they are looking for to get them over the championship hump.

In the subsequent two games, Hamilton has struggled somewhat, scoring 15 and nine points against Chicago and Charlotte respectively.

To deal Hamilton, Detroit had two options: Either the Pistons could deal him to a desperate team during the summer that missed out on a top-flight free agent, or trade him to a contender during midseason.

Dumars missed out on the first option, and now he needs to go with option number two.

Here are five potential trade partners for the Detroit Pistons to deal their star shooting guard.

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A Pistons coaching staff that has thus far proven to be inept in securing a regular rotation, minutes for their young players and victories in the box score has finally made a solid move.

They have finally decided to turn the page on Rip Hamilton.

So far this season, Pistons coach John Kuester has made more poor decisions than sound ones, not the least of which being his inability to move past the old nucleus of Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace and secure steady minutes for Ben Gordon, Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Greg Monroe.

Daye began the season forced to play out of position at power forward and has since fallen completely out of the rotation in favor of one year rental Tracy McGrady.

Summers is still on the outside looking in, unable to crack the rotation or even the active roster.

Monroe has begun to get some regular minutes and has responded with better energy and solid rebounding.

And finally, Kuester has decided to move Hamilton to the bench in favor of Gordon.

Granted, Kuester's move coincided with Hamilton developing a stomach ailment of some sort that forced him to miss the game (although the Detroit News is reporting that sources close to the team apparently are questioning the legitimacy of this ailment and saying he quit on the team).

Regardless, he made a tough move that will no doubt come with ramifications, as Hamilton has shown in the past a disdain for coming off the bench.

But he made a move that needed to be made and he made it.

Given the fact that most people view Kuester (and team president Joe Dumars) as lame ducks content to limp to the end of a terrible season, this move is surprising.

Personally, I didn't think Kuester had the stones to pull off this move. This season, he has shown himself to be fairly timid and his personnel moves have echoed this sentiment.

But this move took guts as it will ruffle some feathers and could set the tone for the rest of the season.

Think about it from the perspective of the players.

On one hand, you have Hamilton; while he has championship pedigree, he is obviously tanking this season. He has appeared sullen and his body language has been terrible. His play has been inconsistent at best and disappointing at the very least.

On the other hand, you have Gordon: Gordon is the consummate professional, has never complained about playing time and goes about his job regardless of his role.

To the players, this move represents a departure from spoiled, rest on your laurels complacency and move towards personal accountability.

There is a reason that team sources are questioning Hamilton's desire to compet—his prima donna act is apparently wearing thin with his teammates and this move will force him to either quit his bickering and accept his new role, or completely quit on the team.

The sad thing about this whole situation is that it should have gone differently.

Hamilton should have kept his mouth shut and showed how valuable he would be to another team, regardless of the role.

Kuester should have made this move much earlier and developed a set rotation that focused on transitioning from the past to the future.

And Dumars should have done more to move Hamilton, even if it meant accepting 50 cents on the dollar for his veteran shooting guard.

If this year has taught us anything, it is that there are a lot of idiot general managers out there, and moving bad salaries is far from impossible.

There is plenty of blame to go around and this season is still likely to be a long one that ends with a lottery selection.

But this move is a step in the right direction—a direction that stresses personal accountability and a move towards the future.

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Have you seen me? 6'11", 205lbs, dark eyes, dark hair. Answers to the name Austin Daye. Last seen in Detroit, Michigan.

All joking aside, it seems as though the Pistons have decided, against all logic, to pull the plug on Daye.

This begs the question of why?

Typically, there are only a few reasons to give up on a talented, young player that was drafted high.

One, the player has discipline issues.

This absolutely does not apply to Daye. By all accounts, Daye has behaved professionally this season.

Sure, he missed a team flight last year, but there have been no indications that he has had any issues this year.

And given the drama that has followed this team, chances are that any discipline issues would certainly have found their way into the light of day.

Another reason to pull the plug on a young player is because there are better options on the roster. Again, this is not the issue in Detroit.

Take a look at the past month.

Since the Lakers blasted the Pistons on November 17, Austin Daye has played a total of 80 minutes.

For those of you scoring at home, that is less than two full games.

However, that stretch comprises 14 games. That's a little more than five minutes per game.

Over that 14 game stretch, there have been a handful of players that have taken minutes that were initially ear-marked for Daye.

The biggest thief being Tracy McGrady, who has 250 minutes over the past 14 games.

Why in the world is McGrady getting more minutes than Daye?

The biggest argument would be that McGrady gives the Pistons something that Daye doesn't. So let's break down their numbers.

Per 36 minutes, Daye is averaging 14 points and seven boards while shooting 44% from downtown.

McGrady is averaging just under 10 points per 36 minutes, six boards and four assists while shooting 32% from behind the arc.

To be fair, McGrady has the edge in assists and is shooting a lot better from the field.

But does McGrady have a future with Detroit?

He has an expiring contract, two bum knees, a chronically bad back, and an NBA body that has logged countless minutes over more than a decade of playing professional basketball.

Sure, he could still play a few more years as a solid bench player, but he no longer has upside. He is not going to regain his all-star form here or anywhere else.

Daye could yet become an all-star talent.

He is only 22, has a wonderful shooting touch from the perimeter, has the size, length and quickness to play three or four different positions, and has the right attitude to get better.

But think about what the Pistons are trying to do this year.

They have no shot at the playoffs.

The fans have begun to stay home.

Ownership is in flux.

And coach John Kuester and possibly team president Joe Dumars are in lame duck status, potentially working for the Pistons for the last time.

The only way to keep this season from being a total waste is to develop the young players.

Kuester has proven to be about the most inept coach in Pistons history (including Michael Curry), he has lost his player's confidence, and nobody on the team knows their role.

However, he has begun to give rookie lottery pick Greg Monroe some minutes, which suggests that he is finally getting it.

But this is a situation that Dumars needs to deal with, and his silence is deafening.

Kuester likely knows that he is a lame duck, and so he is coaching for his life. He wants wins, and his future is not necessarily tied to that of his young players.

The only way for him to stay on once a new owner comes into play is for his team to win.

Since this is not likely given the current roster, he has to know that he is in an un-winnable situation.

The Dumars aspect of this story is interesting.

His future IS tied to the development of the young players. He was the one that drafted them. And unless he knows that this will be his last year with the Pistons, he has got to step up and get minutes for his young players.

However, Dumars has literally said nothing so far this year, and that is probably the answer to whether or not he has a future in Detroit.

This ties into the only other reason why a young player would not get playing time.

The only other reason why a team would pull the plug on the development of a high draft pick this early into his career is because the team is trying to showcase players for the trading deadline.

Earlier in the season, this appeared to be the case.

The Pistons likely would love to deal Rip Hamilton, which could explain why he has continued to get starter's minutes while younger players like Ben Gordon and Daye have struggled for a consistent role.

Daye easily could be plugged into the lineup at shooting guard and would represent a nightmare matchup for opposing coaches given his length.

But Dumars has said that he is not even close to dealing Hamilton, and there is no reason to believe he is lying.

Tayshaun Prince is a much easier piece to get rid of if Detroit wishes, given his expiring contract.

Nobody has doubted Prince's ability. He has a great defensive reputation and shows glimpses of brilliance on offense. You don't need to showcase Prince. Everybody knows what they would be getting with Tayshaun.

McGrady also has an expiring contract, and given how small his contract is, he would likely not bring back much more than a second round draft pick and a d-league player. Therefore, you don't have to showcase him.

This means that the most likely reason that management has not stepped in and forced Kuester to play the young guys is because they just don't care, and they don't want the hassle of ruffling the feathers of their old guard of players.

The bottom line is that this team is completely lost, and the only way for it to find itself in the future is by developing their young players.

Time will tell if the Pistons figure this out, but from where I am sitting, this lame-duck management team has no desire to do anything more than limp out the season and dust of their resumes.

Sad times indeed in Motown.

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