With teams looking to free up cap space to make a run at the prized players in the much-hyped 2010 NBA free agent class - LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson are just five names that come to mind - there will surely be some squads looking to dump what they deem "bad" contracts to give them the flexibility to make a hard sell to some of those free agents.

With the league salary cap most likely taking a steep drop next season (some think it may drop form the current $57.7 million to around $50 million), teams will make moves to avoid paying the league Luxury Tax, as well.

A few of those teams have been consistent playoff teams this decade. But do to roster changes, injuries and/or finances, these teams will see a drop in wins this season in a bid to rebuild or shed cap space.

Detroit Pistons
Shortly after the start of the 2008-09 season, Detroit re-signed two-guard Rip Hamilton to a 3-year, $34 million deal that could keep him with the club through 2013. I don't see that happening, especially after Detroit this summer inked Bulls super-sub Ben Gordon to a 5-year, $55 million deal. A number of people believe Detroit will run a three-guard offense with Hamilton and Gordon running alongside third-year guard Rodney Stuckey. There's not enough balls to go around for those three guys.

All three are scoring guards - even though Detroit is making an effort to turn Stuckey into a point. Hamilton can play off the ball. So can Gordon to a lesser extent, but Stuckey will dominate the ball this season as the team looks to make him That Guy. And you don't pay someone coming off the bench $55 million.

Both Hamilton and Gordon for their career average around 15 shots a game and don't provide much else. That, in my opinion, leaves Hamilton as the odd man out as Gordon is just 26, while Hamilton is on the wrong side of 30. Just like Chauncey Billups was last season before he was dealt in what amounted to a salary dump. I don't know what Pistons President and GM Joe Dumars could get for Hamilton, but getting that contract off the books is looking like a good move. It's not a bad contract, which works in the favor of Dumars in trying to move it and in favor of the team who signs Rip, as his deal isn't that cumbersome to take on.

Dealing Rip, as I expect Detroit to do, would leave the Pistons with a core of Stuckey, Gordon, Tayshaun Prince and Charlie Villanueva (who signed with Gordon this offseason for just under $38 million). That's not a very imposing roster. Detroit sports icon Ben Wallace returned this season, but is waaaaaay past his prime. Starting center Kwame Brown, who has played solid ball so far this preseason, can't catch a cold, let alone a post entry pass. And Dumars drafted three players who play the same position. They may be able to play multiple positions, none of which is center or point guard.

The Pistons will, at times, be very fun to watch. You just won't be watching them past mid-April this season. I didn't think Detroit was a playoff team with Hamilton. Unless the Pistons get someone who can give you 17 points and 10 boards a night, they're definitely not playing in the second season.

Did I mention Kwame Brown is Detroit's starting center?

Part II coming soon