Iverson traded to Pistons

The shakeup promised by Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars after last season's Eastern Conference finals has materialized just two games into the new season.

The Pistons and the Nuggets have finalized a trade that sends guard Allen Iverson to Detroit and Pistons mainstays Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to Denver. "We just felt it was the right time to change our team," Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told The Associated Press. "Iverson gives us a dimension that we haven't had here and we really think it's going to help us."

Dumars put the entire Pistons roster on notice after they lost to Boston in the East finals, saying that there "are no sacred cows" on his team and vowing to consider trading anyone -- even a major contributor to the Pistons' 2004 title run like Billups -- in addition to firing coach Flip Saunders and replacing Saunders with the untested Michael Curry. The Pistons could not find a workable deal over the summer after talking with numerous teams -- Denver included, according to NBA front-office sources -- but it emerged then that Billups, MVP of the 2004 Finals, was the most likely Piston to be dealt.

• Allen Iverson has the third-highest scoring average in NBA history.
• Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess have both been with the Nuggets previously. This would be Billups' second stint in Denver and the third for McDyess. McDyess is expected to be bought out by the Nuggets.
• Iverson's scoring average has decreased significantly since averaging a career-best 33.0 points per game in 2005-06.
• Iverson has the most points of any active player who has not won an NBA title.
• Billups ranks fourth in Pistons history in assists behind only Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Dave Bing.

Highest career scoring averages

PPG
Michael Jordan.......30.12
Wilt Chamberlain...30.07
Allen Iverson..........27.7
Elgin Baylor............27.4
LeBron James........27.3

Most career points, active players, who haven't won NBA title

Points
Allen Iverson............23,044
Dirk Nowitzki...........17,047
Tracy McGrady.......16,798
Vince Carter.............16,633
Stephon Marbury....16,209