Trade Assures Big Ben & Billups Will Remain Pistons <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">In trading center Darko Milicic and guard Carlos Arroyo to Orlando on Wednesday for center Kelvin Cato and a protected 2007 first-round draft pick, the Pistons took steps toward ensuring that Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups remain Pistons for the foreseeable future. And they did so without jeopardizing their chances to win a third straight Eastern Conference title. Arroyo was averaging 12 minutes and Milicic was out of the rotation. And they did so without jeopardizing their chances to win a third straight Eastern Conference title. Arroyo was averaging 12 minutes and Milicic was out of the rotation. "We have put ourselves in a position to re-sign both Ben (this summer) and Chauncey (in the summer of 2007), and we are getting a pretty good draft pick to fill in with another young guy in the next year or two," Pistons president Joe Dumars said. "I am very satisfied with how this turned out." Cato's $8.7 million salary will come off the Pistons' books in July. With that, as well as losing the two years and $8 million owed to Arroyo and the $5.2 million owed to Milicic, the Pistons expect to be nearly $15 million under the luxury tax threshold this summer. The Magic will retain their draft pick this year, and will get it in 2007 if it is among the first five. In 2008, though, the Pistons would get it regardless of where it falls.</div> Source
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting i-eat-nets:</div><div class="quote_post">good, now all we need to do is assure hamilton</div> Rip is already locked up until 2010.
how much money do you pay a Ben Wallace?? I mean, sure he's valuable to the team in many ways, and the team is doing great so why break it up right? But Ben is turning 32 this year i believe. How much is an 32 year old 6-9 center with no offensive game but a total beast on the boards and in the defensive key worth?
Likely a 4 year deal worth close to the max. What he has done for Detroit will get him the max. His importance is far bigger than stats. So I can see him getting a near max deal.
I agree with AllNet because Big Ben has so much leadership to the Pistons even if he does get to old and loses skills he will help players confidence just by showing up
Big Ben should get the Max, Chauncey on the other hand should get around 8/9 mil a year for what he's doing, I mean he's a good player and all but I dont see him as a max money guy.
Believe me if Chauncey doesn't get the max in Detroit, somebody (Charlotte, Atlanta) will be willing to give a all-star point guard with championship experience and is also a leading contender for MVP the max.
But the question is, is Chauncey willing to throw that all away to go to a crap team? He seems to me the kind of guy thats about the game, not how much $$$ he makes.
