HoopsHype.com Rumors

Word of a player protest was news to Tracy McGrady when reached by phone this afternoon. McGrady, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Chris Wilcox were among the Pistons who missed this morning’s shootaround. Only six players were full participants for the entire shootaround. Team sources termed the absences a type of player protest because of dissatisfaction with coach John Kuester. But McGrady said a headache had bothered him for the last three days. The team said Arnie Kander, the strength and conditioning coach, on Thursday night treated Prince for an upset stomach and McGrady. “If it was some kind of protest, everybody would know about it, right?” McGrady told the Free Press. Detroit Free Press

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Richard Hamilton, Chris Wilcox, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, John Kuester 

There surely has to be some measure of discipline meted out to the players involved (Hamilton, Prince, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace and Chris Wilcox) if it’s proven that this was indeed an organized walkout. The organization has to make its own statement on top of the damage those players have done to their own reputations … especially after Terry Foster of the Detroit News reported Friday on his WXYT-FM radio show that some of the same players were planning a similar protest on the morning of the Pistons’ final game before the All-Star break against Indiana but called it off and wound up winning when they were told that Kuester would be ousted during the break. ESPN.com

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Richard Hamilton, Chris Wilcox, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, John Kuester 

Look for the Detroit Pistons to have a new coach by next week. It sends a horrible, horrible message to make a coaching change after the apparent and indefensible protest staged Friday morning by five Pistons players, who skipped Friday’s shootaround in Philadelphia in what the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press report was an organized attempt to make their disdain for coach John Kuester as publicly clear as possible. But there’s no way that the Pistons can go on like this with 20-odd games to go, whether or not they care about still trying to make a run for the No. 8 seed in the East. ESPN.com

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Richard Hamilton, Chris Wilcox, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, John Kuester 

Marc Stein: NO good way out of this ugliness for DET but Darrell Walker taking over from Kuester for rest of season is best on list of painful options Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Richard Hamilton, Chris Wilcox, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, John Kuester 

Wallace has been dealing with a serious personal matter for some time. This isn't the first time he has missed a game or a practice due to the issue, so his absence does not come as a huge surprise. Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Richard Hamilton, Chris Wilcox, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, John Kuester 

It’s gotten so ugly that the Pistons can’t possibly save face no matter what happens next. So trying to restore some semblance of order, now that they’ve lost the opportunity to trade Prince or Hamilton away this week, is the only reasonable counter they can muster. The most sensible scenario from here? Detroit has Sunday and Monday off after the Philadelphia game and a home game Saturday against Utah. That creates a window to allow Kuester to volunteer to “resign” -- with a paid-off contract -- and enable Dumars to install Pistons assistant Darrell Walker as interim coach for the rest of the season. ESPN.com

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Richard Hamilton, Chris Wilcox, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, John Kuester 

The Pistons are looking to move Jason Maxiell and Chris Wilcox, who will combine to make $8 million next season. Maxiell is undersized but a fierce rebounder while Wilcox has the skills to be a productive player but lacks consistent desire Boston Globe

Detroit Pistons, Jason Maxiell, Chris Wilcox