On October 1st, 1993, the Detroit Pistons traded forwards Dennis Rodman and Isaiah Morris, a 1994 2nd round draft pick (Antonio Lang) and a 1996 1st round draft pick (John Wallace) to the San Antonio Spurs for forwards Sean Elliott and David Wood and a 1996 1st round draft pick (Jerome Williams).

Dennis Rodman was a steal for Detroit in the 1986 NBA draft (3rd round, 27th pick). He became a vital contributor for the two-time NBA champ Bad Boy Pistons. His defense and rebounding were astounding and he accomplished a lot in Detroit.

Rodman made the All-Defensive first team five years in a row with Detroit (1989-93), won 2 defensive player of the year awards in a row (1990 & 1991), made two all-star teams (1990 & 1992), and made the All-NBA third team in 1992. 

While Rodman was on the Pistons, they were a perennial contender at their peak, but during the latter years of his tenure, the team suffered a decline. After two consecutive championships in 1989 and 1990, the Pistons were swept in the 1991 conference finals by Chicago, lost in the 1992 first round to the New York Knicks, and were out of the playoffs with only 40 wins during the 1993 season.

Rodman missed 20 games during the 1993 season, and this season is where his character and his reliability and consistency came into question (via SI):

• Oct. 9, 1992: Misses opening of Detroit Pistons’ training camp, saying his pending divorce and the departure of coach Chuck Daly has sapped his desire to play basketball. Rodman misses all of camp.
• Nov. 20, 1992: Suspended by Pistons for three games for refusing to go on a road trip.
• Feb. 11, 1993: Police are notified after Rodman leaves a friend’s house with a gun. He is later found asleep in his truck at The Palace at Auburn Hills, where he was shooting baskets.
• March 11, 1993: Suspended one game by the Pistons for skipping practice.
• March 14, 1993: Fined $500 for leaving the bench during a fight in a game with the Chicago Bulls.

These incidents led to the decision by Detroit to trade Rodman. The Pistons thought they had traded Rodman to Phoenix. The last deal crumbled when it was discovered that the Suns’ Richard Dumas had more drug problems.

Rodman ended his career in Detroit averaging 8.8 PPG and 11.5 RPG over 549 games and seven seasons. His peak individual season was the 1991-92 season, where he averaged 9.8 PPG, 18.7 RPG, and 2.3 APG, while shooting 54% from the field.

Isaiah “Butch” Morris was a second-round draft pick of the Miami Heat traded to Detroit with a future first rounder to Detroit for John Salley. Morris only played his rookie season with Detroit before the trade, averaging 2.2 PPG in 25 games and a bit role.

Sean Elliott was heralded coming out of the University of Arizona. He was taken with the third pick in the 1989 draft by the San Antonio Spurs and teamed with David Robinson to form a young core. During Elliott’s rookie season, the Spurs went from 21-61 the previous season, to 56-26 for an improvement of 35 wins.

The Spurs had some great regular season records, but were unable to succeed in the playoffs winning only two playoff series while Elliott was there.

Elliott ended his first tenure with San Antonio averaging, 14.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.8 APG on 49% from the field and 83% from the free-throw line in 315 games and four seasons with the Spurs.

David Wood was acquired by San Antonio before the 1992-93 season and played only one season with San Antonio before this trade. Wood averaged 2.4 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 9.3 MPG and 64 games.

San Antonio had the option to swap its 1994 draft pick with the Pistons unless Detroit’s pick was in the top 10. In that case, the Spurs and Pistons would trade draft picks in 1995, unless the Pistons’ pick is in the top eight. In that event, the Spurs and Pistons would trade 1996 draft picks, with no restrictions. Detroit was pretty awful, going 20-62 in 1994, 28-54 in 1995, and gained some respectability going 46-36 when the picks were swapped in 1996. Detroit’s spot was #18, and San Antonio’s spot ended up being #26 in the draft.

Rodman continued his streak of leading the league in rebounding. In his second season with the Spurs, Rodman set the NBA record for Total Rebounding % (29.7). The Spurs had great regular seasons finishing 55-27 and 62-20 in the two seasons Rodman was on the roster, but they came up short in the playoffs losing in the first round in 1994 and the conference finals in 1995.

Rodman was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Will Perdue after two seasons with the Spurs. His relationship with Spurs management and the franchise in general soured much like his relationship with the Pistons organization. Rodman disappeared many times during the regular season, and his off the court behavior and inconsistency led to his exile from San Antonio much like his exile from Detroit.

He ended his two-season tenure averaging 5.6 PPG, 17.1 RPG, and 2.1 APG while shooting 55% from the field.

Morris never played a game for San Antonio and was waived only 24 days after the trade. He never played in another NBA game after the trade.

The ‘94 second rounder involved in this trade was from Detroit and went to San Antonio. The Spurs traded that draft pick to the Phoenix Suns for guard Negele Knight. That draft pick ended up being Antonio Lang from Duke at the 29th position of the NBA draft.

The '96 first rounder that San Antonio acquired was traded to the New York Knicks in a four-player deal. The Knicks used the 18th pick in that draft on John Wallace drom Syracuse.

Sean Elliott played one season with Detroit that was a complete failure. He suddenly declined in the Pistons system with his worst numbers since his rookie year. In his one season in Detroit, Elliott averaged 12.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.7 APG and shot 45% from the field, and 30% from behind the arc.

Wood had a small role on the Pistons after the trade. He averaged 4.1 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 15.2 MPG and 78 games.

Detroit also suffered after the trade continuing their decline as a franchise going 22-60 during the 1993-94 season. The Elliott trade was so bad that Detroit traded Elliott mid-season to the Houston Rockets for Robert Horry, but the trade was rescinded due to Elliott failing a physical due to his kidney problem. Elliott was later traded back to the San Antonio Spurs before the 1994-95 season. Luckily, that bad season would allow then to draft forward Grant Hill. This trade was infinitely bad for Detroit because the full return they got after trading Elliott was rookie Bill Curley and a future second rounder.

The '96 first rounder that Detroit obtained from San Antonio was used on forward Jerome Williams from Georgetown. Williams went on to provide a lot of energy for Detroit, earning the nickname “The Junkyard Dog” with his scrappy play. In his time with Detroit, Williams averaged 6.3 PPG and 6.7 RPG. Williams led the NBA in Total Rebound % in 2000 (21.7) and finished tenth in RPG (9.6).

Dennis Rodman on the Pistons organization after negative comments from former coach Don Chaney (via The Washington Post):

“To hell with them. I helped them win two championships, now I’m the bad guy. I don’t associate with those guys anymore. I’ve got a lot of bad feelings toward that place, their system.”

Sean Elliott on joining the Pistons (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune):

“This is really my first chance to play with veteran players like Joe and Isiah. When Dave (Robinson) and I first got to San Antonio, there was Terry Cummings as far as veteran players, and that was about it. Everybody around the league respects Isiah and Joe. I’m happy and proud to be a Detroit Piston. I’m fired up. This city and organization are completely different than anywhere else I’ve been.”

On Spurs:

“My first year we won 56 games and instead of keeping the team together they tried to break it up. I’ve heard rumors about me being traded every year. They said I was the only guy that was tradeable, so I guess they felt they had to trade me.”

On his role in Spurs offense:

“[The Spurs] never really featured me. I was an opportunistic scorer. I’d get my points on the fast break or create my shots. We didn’t run screens on anything for me there.”

Detroit Pistons director of player personnel Billy McKinney (via LA Times):

“We hate to see him (Rodman) go, but it was best for all of us to get a new start.”

On Sean Elliott (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune):

“I think our organization has to be commended for the moves we’ve been able to make. There’s a thing I call TCTP: Talent-Character-Team Player. Sean is all of that. He’s a better person than he is basketball player. He’ll fit in and help our team chemistry.”

San Antonio Spurs general manager Bob Bass On benefits of trade (via LA Times):

“Everybody thought we were a marshmallow team. In making this trade we feel we have really improved in (rebounding). He said he just wanted to win and would show us how to win. In Dennis Rodman, I think we have one of the most unique players that has ever played basketball. He proved his value to Detroit last year. They were 4-15 without Rodman and 36-26 with him, and their defensive average was 98 points with Rodman and 112 points without him. Those are astounding statistics.”

On replacing Rodman:

“It’s very difficult to replace one player who will give you 18 rebounds a game. Now we’re going to do it the normal, regular way. We’re going to divide the rebounds among the team.”