Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports that the rumors of a Jerry Stackhouse trade to Portland for a re-signed Bonzi Wells are unfounded. "I have not talked to Bob Whitsitt," Pistons president Joe Dumars said. "Not once." Whitsitt is the Trail Blazers president and general manager. If a trade between the two teams were going to happen, you would expect Dumars and Whitsitt to be in constant contact.

"Nope," Dumars said. "I read more about this in the papers than anywhere else. To do a sign-and-trade, you have to be talking to the team. We're having no conversation with them."

If the two teams aren?t talking, why does the media still discuss the possibility of a trade? Bill Strickland, one of the more savvy agents in the business, represents Wells and he desperately wants to get his client out of Portland.

Wells made a little more than $2 million in the last year of his rookie contract. He?s looking to sign for six years, starting at $5 million this year. The Blazers aren?t offering anything because they know that there are very few teams with the cap space or the desire to make that kind of offer. The only recourse then is to find a team willing to take Wells in a sign-and-trade. So Strickland has been busy calling teams and trying to broker a deal.

Complicating the rumored Pistons/Blazers deal is Wells? ?base-year compensation status? after he signs a new contract, and the opt-out in Stackhouse?s contract after this season.

"I've always said that if anybody calls and offers something, I will listen," Dumars said. "But listening to a deal and making a deal are two different things. I won't hang up on anybody who's making an offer, you know, but Bob Whitsitt has not called and made an offer. There is nothing on the table."