Just in case there weren't enough teams throwing around Corey Maggette's name over the last couple of weeks, now the Detroit Pistons have added their name to the list. Weeks after Joe Dumars declared the Pistons open for business the team has still not found a participant for the blockbuster trade they've been looking to pull off. It now appears that free agency will be their primary means of improving the roster, though they don't have a lot of room to go that route. Like San Antonio, Orlando, Boston, Philly, Houston, Dallas, Golden State and a myriad of other teams, the Pistons will rely on the strength of their All-Star roster to try and convince Maggette that his best path to a championship lies through Detroit.

So what's the deal with everyone suddenly deciding that Corey Maggette equates a championship?

It's pretty simple, really. Maggette is one of the few players available on the open market who can drop the three (38%), drive to the hole and create a shot off the dribble, and also hit a mid-range. He's good at getting the foul line (681 times in 2007-08) and hits better than 80% once he gets there. Maggette can give you 20+ points per game, but also rebounds and gives you good hustle play. His attitude has been an issue, which is why he's out of favor with the Clippers, but the best way to change an attitude is to surround a guy with quality players and give him a shot at a title.

It's not a stretch to say that the team which lands Maggette winds up in the Finals . . .not much of a stretch at all.

Giddens and the Celtics

There's another side of free agency negotiations that NBA fans are usually spared, but in some cases it's interesting to notice some ties and links as you watch how certain negotiations proceed.

It was a surprise to many when New Mexico's JR Giddens made it into the first round of the NBA draft with Boston's #30. I do a regular radio show in Albuquerque and the hosts of the show were basically shocked by the move and asked me to explain it to them. The best explanation I could come up with was that Giddens' agent - Mark Bartelstein - also represents a number of other Celtics, including James Posey.

Did a light bulb just come on?

Other than Corey Maggette and Elton Brand, Posey is easily the most coveted free agent out there. The Celtics thought they would be a lock to re-sign him, but as it turns out they're facing stiff competition. It seemed to me that they drafted Giddens as a kind of olive branch to Bartelstein, hoping he would do them a favor in return. Posey is widely regarded as the kind of player who brings championship intagibles to the table, and while Boston could repeat as champs without him, it would be easier to do so with him.

As Posey makes the rounds and his future seems less certain, the Celtics have found it difficult to find time to get Giddens' rookie deal done.

Hmmmm. A little cat and mouse action going on here?

That's certainly how it seems.

Redd Staying?

Milwaukee may have made the biggest move of the summer so far when they pulled a draft-day deal that sent Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons to the New Jersey Nets for Richard Jefferson. Jefferson may have been upset by the move, which came on the heels of his being told he was untouchable, but it shouldn't take him long to figure out he's in a better place. It certainly hasn't taken the Bucks long to put together a mental image of playoffs games in Milwaukee next season.

Prior to the trade with the Nets the Bucks were on the phone with the Cleveland Cavaliers trying to work out a deal for Michael Redd. Since the trade the Cavs aren't getting much traction in their attempts to send Anderson Varajao out as a means of bringing another franchise player to fit next to LeBron James. The kink in that plan seems to be the Bucks' growing belief that Redd and Jefferson together might just be the combination that gets the team back to the postseason.

Hard to argue that, really.

Expect the Cavaliers to be very active in trade talks over the next few weeks. They desperately need to add an All-Star to the roster - not just for next season, but also to show LeBron that they're serious about moving forward as a franchise. If they can't accomplish both goals they can start to count the days until LeBron starts packing his boxes and preparing for a move to the Big Apple.