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There shouldn’t be any doubt that the Detroit Pistons are certainly on the rise after a productive offseason. GM Joe Dumars hired one of the best defensive coaches on the market in Lawrence Frank, and put together a good draft highlighted by Brandon Knight- with the 8th overall pick. The problem Dumars and Frank now face is putting together a cohesive rotation out of a roster which seems loaded with wing players. Logic would dictate that Detroit would use their amnesty clause exemption on forward Charlie Villanueva, yet with Ben Gordon and Richard Hamilton’s contracts still on the books, and the seeming log jam the Pistons have at shooting guard, Dumars might be forced to keep Villanueva and sever ties with either Hamilton or Gordon instead. Adrian Wojnarowski of YahooSports.com is reporting that Kyle Singler is close to signing a contract with Real Madrid, which will keep him overseas at least for the entire year.

Will Ben Gordon be Detroit’s amnesty victim?

The good news for the Pistons is that they do have trade assets. Teams like the Celtics, Bulls, Lakers, Thunder, and Grizzlies could be in the market for an experienced shooting guard like Rip Hamilton. Ben Gordon’s contract makes him a hard sell to most teams, but don’t be surprised if Dumars can parlay either or both of them into future picks or low post presence to help Greg Monroe, who looks more comfortable playing off the block around the foul line.