NBA trade rumors: Joe Dumars denies shopping Brandon Knight, pursuing Brandon Jennings

If you believe the rumor mill, the Pistons are actively seeking a new starting point guard, offering up Brandon Knight to the Celtics in a package for Rajon Rondo and engaging in talks with the Bucks about a sign and trade for Brandon Jennings.

If you believe Joe Dumars, reality is far less exciting.

Speaking with reporters at the press conference to announce Chauncey Billups' return, Dumars flatly denied both reports, which, it should be noted, originated with writers based out of Boston and Milwaukee, respectively, and not Detroit. From Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press:

"Never happened, never even a conversation about Brandon," Dumars said of the Boston Globe report over the weekend. "And today I saw something about Brandon Jennings.

"John Hammond and I were on the phone talking about our dogs."

From MLive.com's David Mayo:

"I don't know," Dumars said, with some dismay, when asked how the rumors started.

Two quick notes;

1) Dumars previously confirmed interest in Rajon Rondo, all he's saying now is that he hasn't yet offered Knight. But unless he's willing to part with one of his young big men, though, I can't imagine Boston even considering a trade without Knight. That said, maybe that's why Rondo is still wearing Green.

2) The Jennings thing always felt a little weird -- it was based off a single tweet by a reporter who never followed up with an actual article. I always feel weird trying to guess another writer's sources, but I wouldn't be surprised if this came from Jennings' camp as an attempt to drum up interest around the league. Who knows?

In any case, we're back to where we were several days ago, with Knight heading into the season as the de facto starter ... or are we?

Talked to Chauncey 1 on1.. He told e he EXPECTS to start at point guard for the @detroitpistons

— Ryan Slocum (@Sloc12) July 16, 2013

More from David Mayo:

Dumars said he and Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks already have had that conversation.

"You know, what we did is Chauncey and Mo Cheeks and I talked about this and said let's not predetermine everything, whether he will or won't be," the starter, Dumars said. "Let's see how he looks in training camp and if he is, he is.

"We're going to leave the competition wide open. If it's Brandon, it's Brandon. Whoever it is, Mo said, 'Look, I'm going to go into training camp, and whoever the best guy is for us to start, that's what I'm going to do.'"

I'm curious if Billups' homecoming was completed only after Dumars decided Rondo was unattainable, and that part of the reason Billups passed on signing with a contender was a promise that he could compete for the starting job. Knight may not be on the block, but nothing about the way this organization has treated Knight -- from last year's trade deadline to this summer pursuing Calderon and signing Billups -- suggests they view him as the long-term solution at point guard.

Now your thoughts.