Why Pistons really traded for Iverson

A league insider with knowledge of the Pistons' thinking told me that Detroit went ahead with the Allen Iverson trade knowing full well that the eight-time All-Star had lost a step. "They didn't care," the insider said. "They made the deal strictly for the cap relief" after the season, when Iverson's $20.8 million salary comes off the books. Detroit is 7-9 since Iverson joined the lineup Nov. 7. Its defense, the backbone of the team that has made six consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference finals, has been average at best. In a 104-92 loss to the Knicks last Sunday in New York, Iverson and Rasheed Wallace struggled mightily to defend the pick-and-roll combination of David Lee (12 points, 19 rebounds) and Chris Duhon (25 points, nine assists). Tayshaun Prince was frequently seen explaining defensive rotations to his teammates during breaks in the action. "This team is a shell of what it once was," a courtside scout said. "They aren't contenders anymore."