"I don't have any intention of coming back with the same group," Dumars asserted in an almost defiant tone.  "But, nor am I going to give these guys away.  These are good players and I am not going to take mediocre players back just to say we made some changes.  I've got to get value back."

Really?  So the Pistons would actually be willing to part with the likes of Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton?

"Make no mistake, everybody's in play now," Dumars said.  "There are no sacred cows here.  I have no interest in completely ripping the team down, but will I look to make like significant changes?  Yeah, you're damn right I will."

Of course, the challenge remains finding a willing trade partner.  And even once one is found, trades are always much easier to talk about philosophically than to actually consummate.

All that said, the Denver Nuggets are also a team that is willing to shake things up after being eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the fifth consecutive season.  Could the Nuggets be just the kind of willing trade partner Dumars is looking for?

Denver's brass has said they'll look at every possible scenario this offseason, and there are no doubt plenty of possibilities in Detroit. 

For starters, Billups is a guy the Nuggets could take a long look at it, and the Pistons might be ready to move him given his age and the stellar play of rookie Rodney Stuckey in the postseason.  The Nuggets could start by building a package around center Marcus Camby who would give the Pistons the inside shot blocking presence the team has lacked since the departure of Ben Wallace to Chicago in the summer of 2006.  In addition to being a Denver native, Billups is also a point guard with the kind of size the Nuggets have been looking for to complement Allen Iverson in the backcourt. 

However, Billups has never been a pass-first point guard which could cause problems if he were to team-up with Iverson.  Moreover, Billups has three years and a fourth-year team option left on a contract which will pay him $11-million next season and increases by basically $1-million annually through the 2011-2012 season.  That is certainly one heck of a salary for the Nuggets to absorb.

The Pistons and the Nuggets could also expand the deal to include multiple pieces.  The Nuggets could package Iverson, Camby and Kleiza in exchange for Billups, Wallace and Antonio McDyess, a deal which would work under the cap.

The aforementioned deal would undoubtedly shake up both squads.  The Nuggets would inherit another potential headache in Wallace.  However, when Wallace has his head screwed on straight -- which hasn't happened frequently enough for Dumars' liking in the past couple of seasons -- he's a formidable defender and almost impossible to guard on the offensive end. 

Furthermore, given the fact Wallace will be in the final year of his contract next season makes it somewhat less risky of a move from Denver's perspective.  It's also worth noting that Denver VP of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien is familiar with Wallace as a result of their days together in Portland and has a great deal of respect for what he brings to the table.

The deal would also allow two former Nuggets a chance to come home in Billups and McDyess.  Billups would give the Nuggets another fan favorite to offset the loss of Iverson at the box-office, and he would also give Denver a bigger and better defender at the point.  McDyess would bring a much needed mild-mannered, veteran presence to a locker room full of strong personalities.

For the Pistons, there would definitely be some concerns with regard to whether or not Iverson and Hamilton could coexist given Iverson's propensity to over-dribble and Hamilton's game which is dependent on a good point guard delivering the rock when he comes off of screens.  Still, with a scorer like Iverson, a shot blocker like Camby and a developing young scorer in Kleiza, this is a deal the Pistons would have to consider.  And much like Wallace, if things don't work out between Iverson and the Pistons, Detroit could simply let him walk after the season.

The Nuggets and the Pistons will no doubt talk to one another in the coming weeks.  However, it's important to remember that blockbuster trades aren't easy to pull-off these days for a variety of reasons.  That said, both teams appear truly motivated to shake things up this summer and it's hard to imagine either team finding a more willing trade partner.