'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 42

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... Villanueva

Pistons reach deals with Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva
The Pistons have reached agreements with free agents Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. The Pistons offered Gordon, a guard, a five-year deal worth more than $50 million. According to sources on both sides, Gordon accepted the parameters of the deal. Villanueva agreed to a five-year $35 million deal. No deals can be signed until July 8.

Gordon and Charlie Villanueva showed up at the practice facility Wednesday to meet with president Joe Dumars. Both players, teammates on the 2003-04 Connecticut team, were the top free-agent targets for the Pistons. Gordon, 26, averaged 20.7 points for the Bulls last season, and was brilliant in the seven-game playoff series against the Celtics, averaging 24 points. Villanueva, 24, is 6-foot-11 and coming off the best year of his career, averaging 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Bucks. Although Cleveland and Toronto have expressed interest, Detroit was expected to be able to offer him more money, perhaps starting between $6.5 million and $7 million.

The Pistons also would like to find a way to re-sign Antonio McDyess, an unrestricted free agent. McDyess' agent said Wednesday the Pistons remain on his short list. "He's digesting it all right now," Andy Miller said. "The bulk of teams that have called understand the criteria we've outlined. We have our group and now it's up to Antonio to survey the situation and try to put them in some kind of order." Detroit, Houston, Cleveland, San Antonio and Boston are believed to be among McDyess' suitors. McDyess, 35, is expected to get an offer starting around the mid-level exception ($5.6 million). When asked if the firing of Michael Curry helped put the Pistons back on McDyess' radar, Miller said, "I think he would have considered them anyway, regardless, but that certainly didn't hurt."

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http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/pist ... logid=1914

Waiting and waiting
The Pistons are not allowing any media around the visits of free agents Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, so I can't tell you what's going on yet. It is, obviously, a positive sign for the Pistons that they were both willing to fly here and meet with Joe Dumars.

Gordon, from what I can gather, came here with the intention to commit. Most likely, he has been offered a five-year deal worth $50 million. That's probably a little less than what he hoped for, but he understands how the economic landscape has changed. Just have to wait and see what happens. Interesting, though, with Gordon, Villanueva and Rip Hamilton, Dumars might have to hire Jim Calhoun to the coaching staff and give this team a complete UConn look. That's a joke, by the way. Don't confuse that with all the chatter about Bill Laimbeer being a candidate for the Pistons' job. He's not. Dumars isn't likely to replace a rookie coach with another rookie coach. Doug Collins and Avery Johnson are still the top candidates. It is my understanding that Dumars spoke with both Tuesday night.

Just some housekeeping: The Pistons invited Grosse Pointe native Michael Bramos to play on their summer league team. Also, the Pistons, as we said, officially waived Fabricio Oberto.

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http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/pist ... logid=1915

Still waitingNothing yet from the Ben Gordon-Charlie Villanueva visits. But I found it curious that Joe Dumars has spoken to Avery Johnson but not Doug Collins. Now, it could be just a timing thing. Obviously, Dumars has had his hands full today. But if Collins was the first choice, which I was led to believe he was, it's odd that Dumars hasn't reached out to him yet.

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http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/pist ... logid=1917

Gordon a Piston
The Pistons have offered Ben Gordon a five-year contract worth more than $50 million and according to sources close to the negotiations, he has accepted.

The deal took a little more time to close than expected, presumably because Gordon's agent, Raymond Brothers, gave the Chicago Bulls one last chance to retain Gordon. The Bulls obviously didn't make a counter offer. Thus, Gordon joins fellow U-Conn grad Rip Hamilton in the Pistons' backcourt.

Dumars was still negotiating with free agent forward Charlie Villanueva.

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http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/pist ... logid=1918

Villanueva done
How's that for fast work. In one day, Joe Dumars got both of his primary free agent targets. After Ben Gordon agreed to a five-year deal worth more than $50 million, Charlie Villanueva agreed to a five-year deal worth $35 million.

If my math is correct -- not a safe bet, there -- the Pistons could still have close to $4 million to offer Antonio McDyess.

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http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribu ... troit.html

Ben Gordon meeting with Detroit Pistons
A source close to Ben Gordon said Wednesday the unrestricted free-agent guard is in Detroit, meeting with Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars. Dumars is expected to make Gordon an offer today, the first full day of free agency. The contract could be in the neighborhood of $50 million over five years.

Gordon has indicated his first preference would be to remain with the Bulls, although the Bulls either would either have to surpass the luxury-tax threshold or trade a player to match the Pistons' offer.

There are some league observers who believe the Gordon deal with the Pistons could be done by the end of Wednesday. The Pistons also are targeting fellow Connecticut alum Charlie Villanueva in free agency.

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http://hoopshype.com/twitter_media.html

Adrian Wojnarowski: Gordon strikes deal with Pistons, source says: bit.ly/KnsU2 Over 1 hour ago.

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http://hoopshype.com/twitter_media.html

Adrian Wojnarowski: The deal for Gordon is believed to be 5 years for approximiately $55 million. The Pistons are getting closer with Charlie Villanueva. Over 2 hours ago.

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http://hoopshype.com/twitter_media.html

Adrian Wojnarowski: The Pistons have reached deal in principle with Bulls guard Ben Gordon, a source with knowledge of talks tells Y! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski Over 2 hours ago.

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http://hoopshype.com/twitter_media.html

Jason Fleming: Today's piece: Getting Gordon probably means Rip has to go...Hedo to PDX update - bit.ly/oGnDg Over 5 hours ago.

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http://hoopshype.com/twitter_media.html

Henry Abbott: The Genius of the Allen Iverson Trade: Gone - tinyurl.com/lqcdcq Over 7 hours ago.

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http://hoopshype.com/twitter_media.html

Brian Windhorst: Outlets report B.Gordon & C.Villanueva to visit Pistons today. C.Boozer may have jabbed Cavs again by not opting out so Det. moved on Over 9 hours ago.

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http://hoopshype.com/twitter_media.html

Ken Berger: Pistons target Gordon, Villanueva. bit.ly/N13Be Over 9 hours ago.

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http://blogs.bulls.com/chicago_bulls_bl ... begin.html

Ben Gordon Still a Free Agent as Negotiations Begin
It would seem to be for Bulls leading scorer and free agent guard Ben Gordon, who was expected to get a free agent offer from the Detroit Pistons early Wednesday morning.

Teams cannot begin to officially sign players until July 8. But assuming Gordon does get an offer, Gordon would be playing still another game of high stakes financial and career poker.

For the last two offseasons, Gordon rejected contracts of at least $50 million from the Bulls. It’s proven a huge mistake as Gordon now has been hoping just to realize that kind of money. Gordon has continued to send signals to the Bulls he wants to remain with the team because of his confidence in the team’s future and his comfort with the city of Chicago. The Bulls haven’t rejected the idea.

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/ba ... 7836.story

Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons courting Ben Gordon
Despite mutual desire for guard to remain with Bulls, money may not add up. A busy Tuesday for Joe Dumars began with the Pistons' president of basketball operations firing coach Michael Curry and ended with him making overtures for guard Ben Gordon as NBA free agency began at 11:01 p.m. Chicago time.

The Bulls planned to contact Raymond Brothers, Gordon's agent, who has turned down offers of $50 million over five years and $54 million over six years the previous two summers.

However, the financial reality of keeping Gordon in a Bulls uniform is sobering, which likely is why Pistons management is confident it can lure away Gordon.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/s ... ter-090701

Free agency: Charlie V or Hedo?
There is a growing belief around the league that Charlie Villanueva has moved ahead of Hedo Turkoglu on Detroit's wish list.

Chicago's Ben Gordon remains the backcourt player deeply coveted by the Pistons, but the prospect of a Gordon-and-Villanueva combo likely would be slightly cheaper than trying to sign Gordon and Turkoglu with Detroit's nearly $19 million in projected salary-cap space. So look for the Pistons to take that approach -- barring another shift in focus to a Gordon-and-Paul Millsap combo -- while they also decide between Doug Collins and Avery Johnson as their next coach.Gordon could receive an offer as soon as Wednesday, after sources confirmed that Gordon will be making a formal visit to Motown right away.

That has established Portland as the most determined Hedo suitor on the market, which the Blazers made clear by reaching out immediately to Turkoglu's agent, Lon Babby, in the early, early minutes of Wednesday. Besides Detroit, Toronto (which likely would have to get sign-and-trade creative) and Sacramento (which would have to show an unexpected willingness to spend) also continue to be linked with the Magic's outgoing closer. Did someone say outgoing? Sorry, Magic Kingdom. Despite Dwight Howard's televised pleas Tuesday night for Turkoglu to stay, pretty much no one I've spoken with has been able to manufacture a realistic scenario that enables Orlando to afford keeping him after the financial commitment it took on in trading for Vince Carter.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/s ... ter-090701

Detroit versus Cleveland again? It looks that way thanks to Villanueva.

The Cavs were just about the happiest team on the NBA map when Milwaukee elected to allow Charlie V. to become an unrestricted free agent, since there's a fair bit of belief in Ohio that it would be better to add more of a rangy 3/4 type to counter the likes of Lamar Odom and Rashard Lewis -- someone like Villanueva or the more affordable Linas Kleiza -- than Rasheed Wallace or Antonio McDyess.

Cleveland, though, can offer only a contract starting at full midlevel (at roughly $5.6 million). An offer from the Pistons that starts in the $7 million to $8 million range ... chances are Villanueva can't do better in this depressed marketplace.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/s ... ter-090701

Boston has emerged as the hot new entrant in the race for Sheed. My colleague Ric Bucher from ESPN The Magazine credits Kevin Garnett for convincing Celtics personnel chief Danny Ainge to enter the bidding and for leading the Celtics' lobbying efforts.

Orlando, San Antonio and Dallas all have strong Sheed interest as well, although sources say that the Mavericks -- through president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson -- were planning to make an equally personal and determined pitch to Magic restricted free agent Marcin Gortat as soon as possible to match owner Mark Cuban's pitch in New York right after midnight to Jason Kidd.

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http://www.nypost.com/seven/07012009/sp ... 176927.htm

Lee's agent will receive an initial offer from Walsh, expected to be at $7 million per. Lee likely will be pursued by under-the-cap teams -- Oklahoma City, Portland, Memphis, Detroit. The Knicks other free agent, Chris Wilcox, won't be re-signed.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4301086

Pistons hope to have coach soon
The Detroit Pistons don't plan to wait long to name a replacement for fired coach Michael Curry.Joe Dumars, the Pistons' president for basketball operations, doesn't have a "complete list" of candidates but wants to act in less than a week, before next Tuesday's opening practice for the NBA developmental league. "My goal is to have a head coach in place by the time we go out to Las Vegas," Dumars said in a video posted on the team's Web site. The NBA Summer League runs July 10-19.

source close to the situation told ESPN that former Spurs coach Avery Johnson met with the Pistons on Wednesday. Television analyst Doug Collins has also been rumored to be a candidate for the job. The new coach will inherit a different roster than the one Curry had. On Wednesday, the Pistons agreed to terms with guard Ben Gordon and forward Charlie Villanueva, sources told ESPN.com.Dumars announced Curry's dismissal Tuesday. The first-year coach led the Pistons to a 39-43 regular-season record and a four-straight-game loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.

In the video, Dumars said Detroit needs a more experienced coach as it moves to integrate new players with remaining veterans. "We think it's best to move forward with a more experienced coach to get us through these times right now," Dumars said. "We're going through a transition now where we're bringing back some of the veterans, we're implementing some of the younger guys. "That's probably a little bit too much for a first-time head coach. ... It's a little bit unfair of me to put him in that situation." Dumars and Curry played together at Detroit, but that wasn't enough to save Curry's job after he led the team to a losing regular-season record and four lopsided playoff losses to the Cavaliers after six straight Eastern Conference finals appearances.