As a GM, there is no decision tougher then deciding when to blow up a team, and Joe Dumars has some serious choices to make this offseason. The Pistons are three years removed from their title, and have remained the most talented team in the East, yet the results haven’t been there.

Dumars showed great confidence in himself by allowing his team’s most popular player to head over to the Pistons’ biggest rival, and it was the right decision for the franchise. Often times GMs hold on to player too long for fear of an angry fan base, and end up hurting the team financially for years to come. The best example of this is the Philadelphia 76ers; after making it to the finals they overpaid their role players and killed their cap situation.

Well Dumars has shown in the past he wants to keep his nucleus intact, but at the same time he’s not afraid to mix things up. And if Dumars keeps his reputation as one of the best GMs in the league, he’ll do just that.

Detroit doesn’t need to ignite a fire sale; it is still getting deep into the playoffs every year. But it’s time for one or two major shakeups. The one player who is pretty much untouchable is Tayshaun Prince. His contract is reasonable, he still does the little things for the Pistons, and in reality, he’d bring less back then the other three pieces. The most expendable player is Rip Hamilton. He’s a decent scoring shooting guard without 3-point range and doesn’t really take people off the dribble. However, his contract is reasonable and he doesn’t create any headaches.

With that being said…

Rasheed Wallace could very well be on the move. Other then Tim Duncan, it’s hard to name a better power forward ON the court. He’s the best defensive power forward outside of Duncan, has 3-point range and the ability to post-up anyone and take slower defenders off the dribble. Obviously, Wallace comes with some baggage. Dumars is no idiot, and he’s not going to dump a player of Wallace’s caliber simply because of his penchant for picking up technicals and his bad habit of falling in love with the 3-point line. Detroit got him for nothing, and if it moved him, it would get nothing.

That leaves us with Chauncy Billups. Yes his stats are down, and he struggled some in the post season, but he truly is the leader of this team right now, and moving him could have some consequences. But he’s a free agent, and he’ll command the most value on the market. Ideally, Detroit would get a young point guard or center in return, an expiring contract, and possibly the ability to dump Nazr Mohammed.

The problem is, since the only way to move Billups is via sign-and-trade, and I’m sure he won’t accept any move to a rebuilding team. There are two moves that could make sense, but both involve sign-and-trades.

The trade I most likely see happening would be Billups to Dallas for Devin Harris and a sign-and-trade with Jerry Stackhouse for one year. For Dallas this is a slam dunk. The Mavs need to make something happen after the biggest upset in the history of the NBA, one year after one of the biggest Finals collapses. Dallas brings in a guy who is known for finishing in the fourth quarter, and it wouldn’t cost that much short term to do it. The Pistons would get their point guard for the future as well as a guy who could penetrate consistently (something they don’t have now) in Harris. Stackhouse was a popular player in Detroit and would not only be a deadly scorer off the bench, but would mix well in the clubhouse. Detroit could use a few more players hungry for a title, and this could be Stack’s last shot. Now Detroit’s bench, which has been viewed as a liability, would have two quality vets in Antonio McDyess and Stackhouse, as well as two first-round choices this season. Then next year, with Stackhouse off the books, the Pistons have money to sign their young players long term.

It makes perfect sense for both teams.

The only other option I see, which would be a long shot, is Billups and Mohammed to Portland for Jarret Jack, Martell Webster, Dan Dickau, and a sign-and-trade of Jamal Maggloire. I don’t really see the Pistons biting on this one. Jack and Webster are very talented but haven’t really produced at the NBA level, especially Webster. The days of Maggloire being an all-star are fading fast and there isn’t even a guarantee Magglorie would even agree to it. But, Detroit would get a young point guard for the future and all the players’ contracts are expiring after this season, plus it would be able to dump Mohammed. For Portland, dear lord talk about influx of talent. You have one of the richest owners, so hopefully he wouldn’t mind going over the cap when Brandon Roy and Greg Oden hit the bank, but you’re talking about a lineup of Billups, Roy, Darius Miles, LaMarcus Aldridge and Oden. And that’s not including what they could get for Zach Randolph. That team is dangerous next season, and could challenge for the title in two years instead of three or four.

In all honesty, the first move Detroit should make is firing Flip Saunders. Detroit should bring back a defensive-minded coach who can keep this team focused. Jeff Van Gundy makes perfect sense. Under Van Gundy we would see the same intensity from the 2004 squad, a fire that has been missing under Saunders.

The East is down right now, but that’s not going to last for long. If Chicago can land Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, or Zach Randolph, they instantly become contenders. LeBron James has proven he can strap a mediocre team on his back and take them all the way to the Finals. Give him one more year of development, Daniel Gibson more experience, and Larry Hughes a chance to get both feet back, and the Cavs could be much better next year as well.

That’s the thing; the Pistons window is closing, and could very well have shut. They have enough talent to compete, but unless they get younger and cheaper, it’s going to be a slow decline into the lottery.