Detroit Pistons acquire point guard, Carlos
Arroyo
January 24, 2005 -- Detroit Pistons acquired point guard Carlos Arroyo from Utah on Friday in a trade that sent center Elden Campbell and a first-round pick after 2006 to the Jazz.
The 6-foot-2 Arroyo will provide depth behind Chauncey Billups and will allow Lindsey Hunter - in his 12th NBA season - to play fewer minutes. Arroyo started 71 games and averaged 12.6 points and 5.0 assists last season for the Jazz, but his role diminished this season despite signing a new contract on July 14. He started 16 of 30 games and averaged 8.2 points and 5.1 rebounds.
"We're excited to add him to our team, because we think Carlos adds great flexibility to our backcourt," said Joe
Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations.
Though Arroyo has three years and about $12 million left on his contract after this season, Dumars said his deal will not play a factor in the Pistons' hopes of re-signing Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince in the future.
Campbell, 36, helped the Pistons win the NBA title over the Los Angeles Lakers last season by slowing down Shaquille O'Neal. But he played in just 21 games this season because of Detroit's three-player frontcourt rotation of Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio
McDyess.
By acquiring Campbell, the Jazz will clear salary-cap space this summer. He signed a two-year, $8.4 million contract with the Pistons before the 2003-04 season.
Kevin O'Connor, Utah's vice president for basketball operations, said he wasn't sure whether Campbell would join the Jazz. He spoke with Campbell's agent Friday afternoon and planned to again Saturday.
O'Connor also said it made sense for the Jazz to move Arroyo, who had fallen to fourth in the point guard rotation and hadn't played in the last four games. Arroyo has been frustrated since being benched by coach Jerry Sloan and having to watch Keith McLeod, Raul Lopez and Howard Eisley handle the point.
"First, I think we bring an asset in a draft pick. And second, maybe it eliminates a little bit of a
log-jam at the point guard," O'Connor said.
Utah has a stockpile of three extra first-round picks and four second-rounders over the next few seasons.
Arroyo, who was not drafted, began his career in Toronto and Denver during the 2001-02 season. The Puerto Rico native's career averages are 7.6 points and 3.5 assists.
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