Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports that the Pistons almost made a trade yesterday. They were close to acquiring Amal McCaskill from the Trail Blazers on Monday but the deal fell through at the last minute.

McCaskill would have gone to the Pistons in exchange for a 2nd round pick that wouldn?t be exchanged until 2009. Also, the Trail Blazers would have paid McCaskill?s salary.

The deal crumbled when MCCaskill refused to go on the Piston?s injured list.

The 29 year-old center was waived by the Blazes after the trade fell through. He will be a free agent after clearing waivers in two days. The Blazers already have a surplus of big men, including Zach Randolph, Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, Arvydas Sabonis, Dale Davis and Rasheed Wallace.

"We will keep our eyes open and see if we can bring in another big man," Pistons President Joe Dumars said. "But it has to be the right kind of guy. Right now, we are looking to start the season with the group we have."

"It would really help if we could get another big body in here," Coach Rick Carlisle said. "It would help for practices and for insurance against another injury."

Perry A. Ferrell of the Detroit Free Press reports that the Pistons have lost newly-acquired Don Reid for the season. Reid, who figured to play a significant roll off the bench suffered torn right Achilles tendon against the Miami Heat at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Reid, a 6-foot-8 forward and center, missed a shot early in the second quarter and in a scramble for the rebound went down with 11:06 to play. He was carried to the locker room by trainer Mike Abdenour and strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander. They applied ice to Reid's leg.

"It felt like it slipped out from under me, then it stuck, then I heard a pop, then I thought someone was on top of my leg," Reid said after the Pistons' 85-80 overtime win. "I couldn't move my foot. I'll get it checked out tomorrow and go from there. They tried to keep it in a neutral position and iced it up."

Said teammate Michael Curry: "Every player in this locker room knows what a loss this is to us. I don't think the fans or the media realize how important he was to us. Any time he was on the floor, the energy picked up with his hustle plays."

Chris McCosky of the the Detroit News reports that Pistons guard Pepe Sanchez finally arrived in camp yesterday. Almost a month after signing a 2-year contract, Sanchez was able to cut through the international politics and red tape and fly all night from Buenos Aires, through Atlanta, before arriving in Detroit at 10 a.m. Pistons international scout Tony Ronzone picked him up and drove him directly to practice.

When asked how Sanchez looked, Pistons Coach Rick Carlisle cracked, "Well, he looks alive. That's a good thing."

To get Sanchez from Argentina to Detroit, Dumars and vice president of basketball John Hammond had to: negotiate a buy-out from his contract with a team in Spain, get clearance from the Spanish Federation, get clearance from FIBA, get clearance from the INS and obtain a work visa.

"Each one of those steps takes its own time, and we were actually on the quick path," Dumars said. "We couldn't have possibly got him here any quicker. When you are dealing with international agencies, they don't work on your clock. You work on theirs.

"So I had to take my patience pills every morning."

Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports that the Pistons are waiting for Pepe Sanchez to arrive from Argentina. They are hoping the red tape will be cleared up and he can join the team on Thursday.

"Everything is done on the basketball side of things," Pistons vice president of basketball John Hammond said Monday. "He's got his clearance from the team in Spain and from FIBA. His NBA contract can be approved. We're just waiting for his visa."

Getting a visa is a complicated process. The Department of Immigration and Naturalization has approved Sanchez?s papers. According to Hammond, the papers will be sent through overnight mail from INS to the attorneys in Birmingham, who will then send them to Sanchez in Bahia Blanca, Argentina. Sanchez will then take the papers to the American consulate in Buenos Aires to obtain his visa. "That sounds like a big, big process, but we are hoping he can still get here by Thursday," Hammond said.

Sanchez, expected to be the team's third point guard, will have some catching up to do. "He's behind, but I am not worried about that," Coach Rick Carlisle said. "All of our stuff has been faxed over to him. He has gotten all of our offensive stuff and defensive coverages. The guy is a knowledgeable basketball player. I am sure he's studying his butt off."

The Associated Press reports: The Pistons have traded Chinese center Mengk Bateer for a 2003 second-round draft choice from the San Antonio Spurs, Detroit announced in a written statement.

The Denver Nuggets sent Beteer, along with forward Don Reid and a first-round draft pick, to the Pistons on Tuesday.

As reported Monday by ESPN.com's Marc Stein, San Antonio originally hoped to send point guard Erick Barkley to Detroit along with the draft pick. But Detroit, like most teams around the league, is wary of taking on additional contracts because of luxury-tax concerns. Detroit ultimately elected to pass on Barkley even when San Antonio offered to pay Barkley's $682,500 salary, since the money still would have counted on the Pistons' salary cap had they released Barkley.

A native of Inner Mongolia, Bateer became the second Chinese player in the NBA in February, joining Wang Zhizhi of the Dallas Mavericks.

He averaged 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 27 games with Denver after fulfilling commitments with the Chinese national team and the Beijing Ducks.

Perry Farrell of the Detroit Free Press reports that Chauncey Billups is fitting in with his new team. After a career of moving from team to team and surviving through changes, Billups brought his long-term contract and his confidence into the Piston?s camp. All Billups has to do now is learn where Corliss Williamson, Cliff Robinson, Zeljko Rebraca, Jon Barry and Richard Hamilton like the ball.

It's tedious work, but so far all seem pleased with Billups' effort. "It has been a real good camp so far," Billups said. "Everybody's healthy still. Everybody came in shape, we're getting reps and working out some kinks in things, and everybody is getting familiar with one another right now.

"It's going to take some time for me, for one, to learn everybody and for everybody to learn how I like to play," Billups said. "Rip has to do the same thing, learn how everybody likes to play and everybody has to adjust to him, too. It's a process right now, but I couldn't be happier than I am right now."

Chris McCoskey of the Detroit News reports that Rodney White intends to make the Pistons regret trading him. White was traded to the Nuggets in exchange for Don Reid, Menk Batere and a first round pick.

"I'm definitely going to get the last laugh when it's all over with," said White, the ninth player taken in the 2001 draft. "The team here (in Denver) thinks I can become an All-Star. Now, it's just me living up to that. We are going to have our ups and downs, but I am going to be able to play my basketball game and be relaxed."

Pistons president Joe Dumars defended the deal. "When you have a young talent like that," Dumars said, "either you develop him, give him some minutes and you suffer through the growing pains with him. Or, the kid has to be willing to be patient and wait his turn. He was in a situation where he didn't really want to wait. He wanted to be on the floor and play. We were in a situation where we have a competitive team."

"We feel like we are going to be one of the teams that make some noise in the East this year. So we didn't want to have any dual agendas. It was best for us to make the move," Dumars said.

White feels the Pistons never gave him a chance. "I played 16 games last year and the majority of that was garbage minutes," White said. "No one knows what I was capable of."

The Pistons gained some cap flexibility in the deal with Don Reid, whose contract ends after this season. The draft pick is reportedly the Bucks? 2003 first rounder which was obtained by Denver last season. Batere may never see any time in a Pistons uniform.

"I talked to his agent in Beijing for about a half-hour," Dumars said, referring to Bateer's agent, Xia Song. "We are talking about whether it is worth it for him to come here or worth it to us to move him someplace else. We haven't decided yet." Dumars already has talked to all three Texas teams -- San Antonio, Houston and Dallas -- about a possible trade. "They all like him, but they're in the same position that we are," Dumars said. "They all have 14 players on their roster and when you get to 15, you are stuck."