"The Pistons found a taker for Richard Hamilton, but Hamilton wouldn't agree to terms of a buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers at Thursday's trade deadline.

Hamilton, who is owed $25 million for two more years after the current season, would have been shipped to Cleveland for a future protected draft pick, but according to league sources, couldn't negotiate a buyout.

"We worked very hard through the trade deadline, but at the end of the day, there simply wasn't a good deal for us to make," Pistons president Joe Dumars wrote in an email to The Detroit News.

If Hamilton would have been cut free, he would have become a free agent, free to sign with any team, most likely the Boston Celtics, who expressed interest in signing Hamilton.

Earlier Thursday the Pistons turned down an offer to trade Tayshaun Prince to the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavericks offered Caron Butler and a first-round pick to Detroit for Prince. Butler, who ruptured his right patellar tendon, makes $10.5 million this season and like Prince, his contract expires June 30.

Prince had been in Dallas' sights for a while, especially after Butler went down with the injury. Prince's defense, savvy and perimeter shooting would've been a great pickup for a Mavericks team looking to keep pace in the Western Conference.

A source said the Pistons turned down the deal because the Pistons believe Prince will be more valuable this summer as a trade chip in a sign-and-trade. This summer's draft isn't particularly deep and factored in the Pistons' decision to turn down Dallas' offer."