ESPN

Moderator

  (3:49 PM)

Alan will be here momentarily, please get your questions in.

Alan Ostfield

  (3:52 PM)

Thanks for coming. I always enjoy to talking to people who are passionate Pistons fans.

Aaron (New York, NY)

I have a lot of respect for the job that you do with the Pistons (no longer live in Detroit but still closely follow the team). What advice can you give to someone wanting to work in the business end of the NBA? And what are some personal traits and backgrounds that tend to lead to success?

Alan Ostfield

  (3:52 PM)

There is no clear path to working in professional sports. Some people start out selling tickets, learn the business that way and work their way into other departments. Others get education and training elsewhere and attempt to enter the sports world in their areas of experience (marketing, legal, finance, administration, etc.). Many of the people who have become a general manager or an assistant general manager, in basketball at least, are former players such that they can be the primary talent evaluator and decision-maker. Others may obtain the position through more traditional business experiences, which they then apply to the sports industry. That is how I serve as assistant general manager, by using my finance and legal experiences to manage the salary cap and therefore assist Joe Dumars and John Hammond in player transactions.

holton

Will Rasheed re-sign with the Pistons?

Katy-Milford

I don't understand how Detroit Pistons have a better record then New Jersey Nets, (according to the Piston's NBA Website) but yet, we are 3rd in the league, and they are 2nd?? Help me understand this. Thank you.

Alan Ostfield

  (3:54 PM)

The NBA's rules are that the division winner with the best record in the conference is the #1 seed and the other division winner is the #2 seed, while the remaining six teams are seeded 3 through 8 according to their won-lost record. So, if the season ends as it currently stand, New Jersey would be the #2 seed as the winner of the Atlantic Division, while the Pistons would the #3 seed as the second place team in the Central Division. If we meet New Jersey in the second round of the NBA playoffs, however, and things remain as they are, we would have home-court advantage because we have the better won-lost record.

Alan Ostfield

  (3:55 PM)

We are obviously ecstatic with Rasheed's contributions since joining us. As we expected when we acquired him, and as others are saying, he adds so much to the team and simply makes everyone else around him better, that we are now much more serious contenders than we were before acquiring him. The key is that we have the ability to keep him a Piston if we both want that to happen, and we have a great advantage over other teams as a result of acquiring him now.

Tyler (MI)

Why Darko over Carmelo?

Alan Ostfield

  (3:57 PM)

When we drafted Darko in June, we knew that he would not make an immediate impact. Joe Dumars and his staff believed then that Darko will be a terrific player, and that players like him, with his size and skill, come around very rarely, and they still believe that today as much as ever. Darko is a kid that needs to develop, and we were a team that had won 50 games two years in a row, and weren't in need of a savior like other teams that have such a high pick. As Joe has said, we had a lottery pick, but we weren't a lottery team. Darko will play a larger role as time goes on.

N.K. G.R.- MI

Hey Mr. Ostfield Is Detroit your favorite team to be with,why do you like detroit if you do like being with them?

Alan Ostfield

  (3:57 PM)

The Pistons are, of course, my favorite team (and not just because they are on my paycheck). The Pistons are a group of terrific and hard-working guys, who also happen to be great basketball players. They represent the metro Detroit region very well, and in my opinion stand for most of what is good about professional sports.

Detroit

What are your views of working in the sports business today, yesterday, and tomorrow?

Alan Ostfield

  (3:59 PM)

Professional sports has changed a fair amount over the years, as the elements of big business have entered what was traditionally viewed as a game. What makes sports wonderful, for those of us that grew up loving it or are fortunate to be able to work in it, is the excitement of being at a game, the suspense of the moment and the attachment to a team and community. People that work in professional sports, while certainly being aware of the needs of the business, need to keep these other aspects top of mind. We do this at the Pistons in a variety of ways, such as by providing our fans with the ability to interact with the players (taking pictures and getting autographs) and making sure that our in-game entertainment enhances the experience of coming to a game.

Detroit

What is your take or spin on monitoring the salary cap?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:00 PM)

I monitor the salary cap by using the salary information provided to me by the NBA as well as some straight-forward computer programs I have. I need to keep tabs on where we are today, know what we will look like in the future and understand the implications of various transactions we are considering. The key is improve the team and retain flexibility to continue doing so within the NBA's salary cap.

Detroit

Do you feel that the NBA needs a hard cost-containment mechanism (e.g. Hard Salary Cap)? If so when do you think it will happen and will it really benefit the league?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:01 PM)

The NBA has a salary cap, that obviously is not a "cap" in the literal sense of the word. It is more of a framework that attempts to keep salaries among the teams relatively in line with the others and league revenue. The NBA's salary cap has many pieces to it, such as exceptions and tax levels, all of which are designed to come together and form a fair and reasonable player payroll system that is good for the entire industry (teams and players). I think it does this pretty well, all things considered. This will certainly be a topic for consideration as the discussions for the next collective bargaining agreement begin in earnest and each party attempts to tinker with parts of the system. Systems like this that, to one degree or another, keep payrolls among teams in line with one another and payroll in line with revenue are the foundation for any successful professional sports league.

Bryan (Sterling Heights)

How is the pressure to make a very big decision? The Pistons did a good job on making the trade happen for the pistons, the Rasheed deal is a big change in the organization and bringing back Lindsey is a smart decision.

Alan Ostfield

  (4:03 PM)

There is definitely pressure when a big decision has to be made. This is a business that operates in a very public environment, with many people judging you by the wins and losses. You deal with that by surrounding yourself with good advisors and having the confidence in your judgment. That is one of the things that Joe Dumars has done well since becoming our President of Basketball Operations. As evidenced by the big moves he has made, he has dealt with the pressure well and has not been afraid to make the big and tough decisions, which have turned out well for us. This quality will serve him and us well in the future as we continue to improve our team.

Valerie

How far do you think the Pistons will really go? Is it really conceivable that the could win the East?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:05 PM)

I think that we definitely have a chance to come out of the East and compete in the Finals, especially given the acquisition of Rasheed Wallace. We obtained him, because he is the special player who can make the necessary difference, as we have seen in recent weeks. The great thing about the position that the Pistons are in, and what Joe Dumars thinks about all of the time, is giving the Pistons a chance to compete year in and year out. I think that's the mark of a great franchise.

Alex Z.(Sterling Heights,MI)

How much under the salary cap are the pistons?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:06 PM)

We are currently approximately $11 million over the salary cap. All but 1 or 2 teams are over the salary cap, as a result of the exceptions that exist that permit teams to sign players and exceed the cap (such as the "Bird" exception to sign certain of your own free agents). The great thing about the Pistons' position is that, while we are currently over the cap, we have the flexibility to get under the cap in future years if we want and need to. That flexibility is key to making a team good for many years.

Robert (Luna Pier)

Do you have any advice for a student looking to make it in a career like yours?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:07 PM)

There are many different ways to begin working in professional sports and therefore the advice to a student would differ depending on the particularly student. In general, though, get a great education, do well in school, get some very good practical business experience and knock on as many doors in the professional sports world in the hope that you can get someone to answer. Being educated and qualified might help the door be answered, and will certainly be a good thing for the students in the event that they opt not to work in professional sports.

Berlin Huntington Woods

Can you provide information on how our oversees Draftees are doing? thanks

Derwin (Huntsville)

What kind of future draft picks do we have and/or are owed (either our own or another teams')?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:09 PM)

I'll try to answer a few of the questions regarding draft picks at the same time.Our 2 draft picks from last year who remained overseas (Carlos Delfino and Adreas Glyniadakis) are doing well there. Carlos is shooting well and averaging about 12 points a game. Joe Dumars and John Hammond recently had dinner with Carlos and his father and watched him play, and remain very excited about him joining us next year. Andreas also continues to do well and develop. He will probably remain overseas for one more year, and possibly join us in 2005. This coming draft, we currently do not have a first round pick, as we traded that and another one we received in the trade that brought Rasheed Wallace here. While we do not have an actual first round pick this year, we certainly feel as if we do, in that Carlos (who was our second first round pick last year) and would be a high first round pick this year if available will be joining us. We have our second round pick, and may even have another second round pick (Philadelphia owes us a pick, which it has to do in this draft or the next draft).

East Lansing, MI

Why do you think the Pistons were successful in the regular season this year? Would you say it was hiring a new coach, engaging in trade deals, or good instincts from Mr. President and the rest of the front office?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:10 PM)

There are always a bunch of reasons for why a team is successful, and it is never easy to isolate any particular one. In our case this year, I think we have continued our prior successes because we were working from a terrific base of players built over the past couple of years, we added a hall of fame coach in Larry Brown and we recently added a difference maker in Rasheed Wallace.

Detroit

What type of jobs are available with the Pistons in your department?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:11 PM)

We sometimes have jobs available, especially in the sales and marketing areas. Please go to www.palacenet.com to see information about available opportunities.

BK Boston

Are the Pistons one of the most profitable franchises in the League? And if so, would you consider paying the Luxury tax to put together the best team possible?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:14 PM)

The Pistons are not one of the most profitable teams in the league, but we definitely try to keep profitability in mind when we make decisions. As you can tell though from all of our decisions since last season, winning is our foremost concern. From bringing on a new coaching staff to acquiring free agents and players through trades (such as Rasheed Wallace), we have consistently increased our expenses with the single goal of winning.

Kevin, GR

Are there plans in place to allow you to keep both Sheed and Memo? If so, are they already working, or is it an off=season scenerio?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:17 PM)

We are in a great position now as a result of the trade that brought Rasheed Wallace here, where we now have the opportunity to keep both Mehmet Okur and Rasheed Wallace. While it depends on many factors, the Pistons have done all that we can do to increase the possibility that we will be able tor re-sign both players. Having flexibility like that is what Joe Dumars strives for when planning for the future and is the cornerstone of a solid franchise.

Grand Rapids

How does B. Wallace feel about R. Wallace coming over to the Pistons? B Wallace scoring has been down and rebounding has seem to be down since R. Wallace join them team.

Alan Ostfield

  (4:20 PM)

Ben Wallace, like all of our players, cares about one thing more than anything else -- winning. As you can see from the past month, Rasheed is a big help in that regard. Rasheed is also a terrific teammate and competitor.

kalamazoo

is there any chance that the Pistons will get Tracey McGrady in the off-season?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:22 PM)

McGrady's contract has three more years left on it, although he can opt out of his contract after next season. The only way to acquire him would be to trade with Orlando.

Ryan Gaylord

Is there any way we can find information about the players contracts like salary, bonuses, duration of contracts?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:24 PM)

There is no way to get the official contract information as that is understandably confidential. The best you can do is piece together the reports that are publicly available that attempt to provide this information.

Phil (Lansing)

What do you think the salary cap will be this offseason? I have heard it could be as high as $46-$47 million.

Alan Ostfield

  (4:25 PM)

At this point we don't really know. We always assume that the salary will increase by a couple of million dollars, so your numbers are probably in the ballpark.

James (Detroit)

Do you anticipate losing a player in the expansion draft?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:29 PM)

Charlotte will take a player from about half of the teams, so there is a good possibility that we could lose a player, given that we have players that are attractive to an expansion team. We are in a good position regarding the expansion draft, however given the number of players we have signed for next year and restricted free agents.

Joe (Detroit)

Is there a good chance Charlotte will take Elden Campbell in the expansion draft? Will Joe throw money or picks at them to get it done so he can sign both Memo and Sheed?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:31 PM)

With that type of strategic thought, you'll make a good GM someday!

Justin (Big Rapids)

Do the pistons currently have summer internships available for college students in business administration?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:32 PM)

Yes, there are internships available each season, please check out palacenet.com for more info.

Merc (Clare)

Hi Alan,It was interesting to hear Joe say that it's possible to keep Memo and Rasheed. Theoretically (without tipping your hand) if Charlotte didn't take someone off of our roster and a team offered more than the MLE for Memo how would this be possible?

Alan Ostfield

  (4:36 PM)

Great question...exactly the kind of analysis Joe Dumars, John Hammond and I go through all of the time. If Memo is offered more than the mid level exception and wants to take it and there are no other changes to our roster, we would not be able to keep both Rasheed and Memo. The great thing about the position we are in is that the possibility exists, as a result of our recent trade to acquire Rasheed that we could keep them both.

Alan Ostfield

  (4:38 PM)

Thanks for joining the chat, I enjoyed answering all of your questions. Look forward to seeing you at a Pistons game.