Dennis Rodman, the troubled forward who put up the NBA's best rebounding numbers in 20 years, was traded by the Detroit Pistons to the San Antonio Spurs Friday for All-Star small forward Sean Elliott.
The trade ended a 17-month saga during which Rodman's disappearances, tardiness and refusal to work with the team's front office cast a pall over the Pistons. Rodman's disruptive influence and former coach Ron Rothstein's inability to handle him contributed to Rothstein's ouster after last season.Rodman, an All-Star in 1990 and 1992, fumed over Detroit's refusal to keep coach Chuck Daly, who left to take over the New Jersey Nets.
"I think when you're approaching the season, especially when you're a new coach, you want to eliminate as much negative publicity as possible," said Don Chaney, who was an assistant to Rothstein last year, the first time the Pistons failed to make the NBA playoffs since 1984.
"Last year, Ronnie entered the season with one of the players creating a situation and Ronnie hadn't coached a game," Chaney said.
In addition to Elliott, the Pistons also received 6-foot-9 forward David Wood. In a separate deal, Detroit sent seldom-used forward Isaiah Morris to the Spurs for a conditional second-round pick in 1997.
"We hate to see him go," director of player personnel Billy McKinney said at a news conference at The Palace of Auburn Hills. "But it was best for all of us to get a new start."
McKinney struggled to trade Rodman, a prolific rebounder whose leaping skill helped the Pistons to their consecutive NBA titles in 1988 and 1989. Rodman was the NBA's leading rebounder last season at 18.3 per game, just down from his 18.7 the previous year. The 18.7 was the highest figure in the league since 1971-72 and Rodman is the only player since 1979 to average over 16 per season.
Rodman, emotionally wracked before last season by the end of his marriage and the loss of custody of his daughter, Alexis, refused to OK several deals.
After an on-again/off-again deal with the Phoenix Suns broke down over the drug relapse of guard Richard Dumas, prospects of shipping Rodman before the beginning of training camp seemed bleak. Talks with San Antonio turned serious two months ago.
"I think as it got closer to the season and we both realized that there were things that we wanted to be able to accomplish, we were able to work out terms that were reasonable to all parties," McKinney said.
For the Spurs, Rodman could be the missing piece to get them past Western Conference foes Phoenix, Portland and Seattle.
"They are a playoff-bound team, and they are maybe one or two players away from really competing for the big championships, and I think they thought whether this guy is old, whether he comes with a little baggage doesn't matter," said Chaney, who once coached the Houston Rockets.
"We think we've really improved our team today," said Bob Bass, the Spurs' vice president for basketball operations. "I know we've improved our rebounding and our defense, and if you study what has happened in the playoffs, you just can't win without them."
For the Pistons, the addition of Elliott is another new face in a collection Chaney will try to return to the playoffs.
"We're getting an all-star player, a quality player," said Pistons captain Isiah Thomas. "You're giving up Dennis Rodman, but you're getting back a 25-year-old All-Star who can play basketball. The fans will really like the things that he can do."
Rodman led the NBA in rebounds in 1991-92 and was named the league's defensive player of the year.
Elliott, a first-time All-Star, was the Spurs' second-leading scorer, averaging 17.2 points and 4.6 rebounds over 70 games.