Stackhouse dealt to Wizards in six-player deal (2024)

WASHINGTON -- After leading the Detroit Pistons to asurprising turnaround season, Jerry Stackhouse will get a chance todo the same with the Washington Wizards.

	Hamilton

	Stackhouse

The Pistons traded Stackhouse to the Wizards for Richard Hamilton in a six-player deal Wednesday. Washington also gets forward Brian Cardinal and center Ratko Varda, while Detroit landsforward Bobby Simmons and guard Hubert Davis.

"I'm just disappointed ... because I have to leave my home,"Stackhouse said. "I have to leave a fan base that has grown withme since I've been here and who have been just unbelievably greatfor me. It's not easy, but at the same time it comes with thisbusiness and I understand that."

Stackhouse, a two-time All-Star, shed his selfish image andbecame more of a team player last season. Detroit won 50 games -- 18more than the previous year -- despite predictions the Pistons wouldfinish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Now he's going to a Wizards team that finished eight games below.500 last season despite the return of Michael Jordan.

"When you have the opportunity to add an All-Star player ofJerry's caliber, you can't hesitate on the chance to strengthen theteam," Wizards general manager Wes Unseld said. "We had to partwith several players we were very high on, but we feel we haveimproved."

The trade is a surprise ending to Jordan's overhaul of theWizards starting lineup as he prepares for his final season.Washington will open the season with five new starters.

Also, by getting Stackhouse, Jordan is building for the futurewhile enhancing his chances to go out a winner.

Hamilton is considered a possible future All-Star, whileStackhouse is in his prime. However, Stackhouse had only one yearleft in his contract with the Pistons, so Jordan's plan to clearplenty of room under the salary cap next offseason is still intact.

Stackhouse is the third starter acquired by the Wizards thisoffseason. Washington signed free agent Larry Hughes to play pointguard in July and added free agent small forward Bryon Russell onTuesday. Coach Doug Collins plans to start Brendan Haywood atcenter and either Etan Thomas or Kwame Brown at power forward; allthree were mostly reserves last season.

Stackhouse has a career scoring average over seven NBA seasonsof 21.2 points, the highest among any player taken in the 1995draft. Drafted third overall by Philadelphia, he was traded toDetroit in 1997. His best season came in 2000-01, when he finishedsecond in the league with a 29.8-point average.

Once considered by some to be an arrogant, shoot-first player,Stackhouse changed his game last season to make his teammatesbetter. He took almost seven fewer shots per game and played nearlyfive less minutes than he did the previous season, when he wassecond in the league in scoring and the Pistons won just 32 games.

The result: The former North Carolina star led the Pistons tothe Central Division title, the team's first since 1990. In theregular season, he averaged 21.4 points, a career-best 5.3 assistsand 4.1 rebounds in 35.3 minutes.

Stackhouse faltered in the playoffs, however. When the Pistonsfaced elimination in Game 5 against Toronto in the first round, hemade just 1 of 10 shots.

The second time Detroit faced elimination, Stackhouse made just3 of 18 shots against Boston and failed to attack Paul Pierce whenPierce had four fouls in the third quarter. Stackhouse made just321 percent of his shots in 10 playoff games.

Stackhouse is expected to play ahead of Jordan, who has said hewill play one more season if his ailing knees let him. Collins saidTuesday he had spoken with Jordan about coming off the bench as abackup shooting guard.

Jordan, who still runs the team even though he no longer has afront office title, is expected to announce his plans for theseason shortly before the Wizards open training camp Oct. 1.