I'm not ready to coronate LeBron James King of the Eastern Conference for the next decade like I heard one Cleveland fan do in a drunken stupor last night, but I'd bet money the Pistons won't challenge his throne next year the way they're currently constituted.

Chauncey Billups cost himself a lot of money with his sub-par playoff performance, but some team starving for a point guard will be willing to pay him in free agency. Don't expect Mr. Big Shot back in a Piston uniform next year. Joe Dumars would be wiser to spend his money retaining Antonio McDyess (who's passion and play have not deteriorated over the past 12 months) and working on a sign-and-trade with Portland, where the Blazers are looking to unload problem child Zach Randolph and need a point guard.

Billups for Randolph, who'll make about $14 million next season, would make sense for both teams. Randolph gives the Pistons an inside scorer and the perfect compliment to McDyess and Jason Maxiell, their current frontcourt of the future. (Rasheed Wallace has grown so volatile that he's become expendable, though it's doubtful anyone wants him, and Nazr Mohammed is well, Nazr Mohammed.) Portland would pair Billups, who's still a fine player and clutch shot-maker, with Brandon Roy in the backcourt. No. 1 pick Greg Oden can make up for any defensive inadequacies and mature slowly on offense, and Randolph has no future in Portland with LaMarcus Aldridge also waiting in the wings.

I don't know if Dumars would be able to finagle Jarrett Jack in a deal (to make salaries match?), but the Pistons also have a pair of first-round picks. I've been on the Javaris Crittenton-at-15 bandwagon for a month now (though he might end up a lottery pick when all is said and done), and Daequan Cook would be a good Rip replacement down the road (even if means trading up from 27 to get him).

I don't know if that's enough to get the Pistons back to the NBA Finals next year, but they'd get younger and their future would look brighter without going through a painful rebuilding process like the one that made the organization largely irrelevant for most of the 90s.