The Detroit Pistons franchise has been around for quite some time now. The Pistons' first season was all the way back in the 1941-42 season when they were referred to as the Fort Wayne Pistons and played in the National Basketball League or NBL. They then relocated to Detroit starting in the 1957-58 season and remain there to this day.
The Pistons have accomplished quite a lot over the eight-plus-decade history of the franchise. They have won three titles — in 1989, 1990, and 2004 — and have made it all the way to the NBA Finals six times, with their most recent Finals appearance being in 2005 when they lost to Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs in seven games.
Considering all the success that the Pistons have enjoyed over the years, it should come as no surprise that they've made plenty of great trades as a franchise. Some of the best players in franchise history were acquired via trade, such as Ben Wallace, Richard Hamilton, and Rashed Wallace, among others.
With all of that being said, let's rank the five best trades in the history of the Detroit Pistons franchise:
5. Pistons trade for Rasheed Wallace
In February of 2004, the Detroit Pistons received Rasheed Wallace from the Atlanta Hawks and Mike James from the Boston Celtics in a three-team trade.
Wallace went on to spend six seasons of his NBA career as a member of the Pistons. He earned two All-Star appearances with Detroit and averaged 13.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game across 399 total regular-season games played with the franchise (391 starts).
Rasheed Wallace's best season as a Piston came during the 2005-06 season when he averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game across 80 regular-season games.
But, most importantly, Wallace was an invaluable part of the 2003-04 iteration of the Detroit Pistons that went on to win the NBA championship. He was particularly great in Detroit's first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, as Wallace averaged 14.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game for the series, and the Pistons went on to eliminate the Bucks in five games.
After the end of the 2008-09 season, Wallace's last season in Detroit, he played for the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks before retiring from the NBA following the 2012-13 season at the age of 38.
4. Pistons trade for Richard Hamilton
In September of 2002, the Pistons sent Jerry Stackhouse to the Washington Wizards for Richard Hamilton in a trade that involved six players in total.
Richard Hamilton spent nine seasons as a member of the Pistons and was one of the best perimeter shooters in the NBA during his time with the team. Hamilton made three All-Star teams with the Pistons and averaged 18.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 0.9 steals per game in 631 total regular-season games played with the franchise (599 starts).
Hamilton's best single season as a Piston came during the 2005-06 season when he averaged a career-high 20.1 points per game during the regular season and led the entire league in three-point percentage (45.8 percent).
Like Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton was also an invaluable member of the 2004 Detroit team that won the NBA title. His best playoff series during the Pistons' title run came in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, as Hamilton averaged 23.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game for the series, and the Pistons went on to eliminate the Pacers in six games.
3. Pistons trade for Mark Aguirre
In February of 1989, the Detroit Pistons acquired Mark Aguirre from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Adrian Dantley and a first-round draft pick.
Mark Aguirre spent five seasons with the Pistons, and while he was no longer the same superstar-caliber player he was earlier in his career with the Mavericks, he was still a very effective role player. Aguirre averaged 12.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.5 steals per game across 318 total regular-season appearances with the franchise (112 starts).
Aguirre's best single season as a Piston came during the 1990-91 season when he averaged 14.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in 78 regular-season games and 13 starts.
The 6-foot-6 forward helped the Pistons win back-to-back championships in the years 1989 and 1990. His best playoff series during the team's back-to-back title runs was the 1989 first-round series against the Boston Celtics. Aguirre averaged 17.7 points per game and shot 54.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the three-point arc for the series, and the Pistons went on to sweep the Celtics.
After Mark Aguirre's last season as a Piston, the 1992-93 season, he went on to play one season with the Los Angeles Clippers before retiring from the NBA at the age of 34.
2. Pistons trade for Ben Wallace
In August of 2000, the Detroit Pistons traded Grant Hill to the Orlando Magic and received Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins in return.
Wallace spent nine seasons with the Pistons, and during this time, he established himself as one of the best defensive players in NBA history. As a Piston, Wallace made four All-Star teams, won four Defensive Player of the Year awards (tied with Dikembe Mutombo for the most of any player in league history), and averaged 6.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game across 655 total regular-season games played with the franchise (597 starts).
Ben Wallace's best season as a Piston came during the 2001-02 season when he averaged 7.6 points per game and led the league in both rebounds (13.0) and blocks (3.5) per game. Interestingly, though, Wallace didn't make the All-Star team that season.
If it weren't for Wallace's contributions to the 2004 Pistons, perhaps that team wouldn't have won the NBA title. Wallace was particularly fantastic in the NBA Finals against Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 10.8 points, 13.6 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 1.8 steals per game in a championship series that the Pistons won in five games.
Ben Wallace spent the final season of his pro career as a Piston and retired from the NBA following the 2011-12 season at the age of 37. He played in 62 games during the 2011-12 regular season.
1. Pistons trade for Bill Laimbeer
In February of 1982, the Detroit Pistons made the best trade in the history of the franchise. The Pistons traded Paul Mokeski, Phil Hubbard, and two draft picks to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Bill Laimbeer and Kenny Carr.
Laimbeer went on to spend the final 13 seasons of his NBA career with the Pistons. He earned four All-Star appearances as a Piston and averaged 13.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in 937 total regular-season games played with the franchise (857 starts).
Laimbeer's best season as a Piston came during the 1985-86 season when he averaged 16.6 points, 1.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.8 blocks, and a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game during the regular season.
Laimbeer's physical play on both ends of the floor bordered on dirty, but it helped the Pistons win games. If it weren't for his contributions to the 1989 and 1990 iterations of the Pistons, it's likely that they wouldn't have won back-to-back NBA titles.
His best series during the Pistons' 1989 and 1990 title runs came during the 1990 NBA Finals against Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers. Laimbeer averaged 13.2 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game during the championship series, and the Pistons eliminated the Trail Blazers in five games.
Bill Laimbeer's final season in the NBA and with the Pistons was the 1993-94 season. The Pistons were one of the worst teams in the league at this point, as they finished the regular season with a 20-62 record, tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the worst record in the entire Eastern Conference. Laimbeer averaged 9.8 points per game in just 11 games played during the regular season. Following the 1993-94 campaign, Bill Laimbeer retired from the game of basketball at the age of 36.
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