OT: Billups staying with Detroit? http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2925200</p> </p><blockquote> Chauncey Billups and the Detroit Pistons agreed on a five-year, $60 million contract Tuesday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.</p> The person, who requested anonymity because of league rules preventing contract announcements before July 11, said the final season is a team option.</p> Billups had become an unrestricted free agent last month after opting out of the last year of a six-year contract.</p> </p></blockquote>
Or maybe not?</p> </p> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2925200</p> </p><blockquote> Chauncey Billups' agent refuted an Associated Press report that his client had agreed to a five-year, $60 million contract.</p> "This is a vicious rumor," Andy Miller, Billups' agent, told The Detroit Free Press. "It's entirely untrue. We have not reached an agreement. I don't know what stage we're at. We're having ongoing discussions, and I don't believe that we're on the verge of signing an agreement anytime today by any stretch of the imagination." </p></blockquote>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GM3)</div><div class='quotemain'>He will stay in Detroit, they will suck pretty bad if Billups left and Dumars knows it.</div></p> Agreed...it may not be offical yet, but I think it's just a matter of time.</p>
Billups reminds me of Ben Wallace. The whole team peaked with their championship, now has tailed off to something less than championship level.</p> Clearly Detroit would suck without him, but he's not the player he was when he won MVP of the finals. Whether he stays or goes elsewhere, I'm afraid at this point it's riding him as his career winds down.</p> </p>
He's just like Bibby is for the Kings now. Just another veteran who'll win some games but thats about it.
Billups is a really solid point guard. Detroit would be lost without him. I can't say I like the guy, but his value is obvious.</p> The challenge is to find the right contract for a PG who will be 35-36 when it runs out. He plays under control so he will probably still be effective at that age, but is he going to be worth paying $12-14M at that point? </p>
Was he worth way less than $12-$14M when he was winning finals MVP? Guys as good as LeBron or Kobe or Duncan play their rookie contracts for cheap. Big contracts at the end of their careers kinda even things out, no?</p> </p>
Guys like LeBron and Duncan carry a team, Billups is an important piece but he did not exactly carry the Pistons. </p> </p> For as much praise as Dumars got for building that team he did a pretty bad job after they won the title. Almost no young talent waiting to take over now and if they were going to keep Billups they should have kept Wallace as well. </p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane)</div><div class='quotemain'>Was he worth way less than $12-$14M when he was winning finals MVP? Guys as good as LeBron or Kobe or Duncan play their rookie contracts for cheap. Big contracts at the end of their careers kinda even things out, no?</div></p> So paying Billups more than he is worth now is like retroactive pay? Detroit took a chance on him when he was a journeyman guard and he has had a career to dream about since. I don't think they owe him any more than he owes them. </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GM3)</div><div class='quotemain'>For as much praise as Dumars got for building that team he did a pretty bad job after they won the title. Almost no young talent waiting to take over now and if they were going to keep Billups they should have kept Wallace as well.</div></p> They traded Darko (spectacular failure) to help make space for Wallace, who walked anyways. Now they are cutting guys like Delfino to make room for Billups, who could walk as well, though it is much more unlikely, IMHO. Not to mention having an All-Star in Okur and mishandling him so badly.</p> Dumars gets a lot of credit for the 50+ win season streak, and rightfully so, but he isn't a genius GM or anything. </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (speeds)</div><div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane)</div><div class='quotemain'>Was he worth way less than $12-$14M when he was winning finals MVP? Guys as good as LeBron or Kobe or Duncan play their rookie contracts for cheap. Big contracts at the end of their careers kinda even things out, no?</div></p> So paying Billups more than he is worth now is like retroactive pay? Detroit took a chance on him when he was a journeyman guard and he has had a career to dream about since. I don't think they owe him any more than he owes them. </p> </div></p> Well, that's why they collectively bargain. For every bust of a 1st round pick who basically bilks a team for a few $million, there's some star like Wade who is probably worth MAX contract from his first year on. </p> He's not worth the MAX as a late-career player, likely. So as-is, the owners make out by paying less at the front and tail end of career.</p> $.02</p>
Billups is a difference maker. If he went some place like Portland with the young talent they have, they would make the playoffs in the West.</p> The "problem" with Billups is that he isn't enough to lift a team past the second round of the playoffs. </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan)</div><div class='quotemain'> Billups is a difference maker. If he went some place like Portland with the young talent they have, they would make the playoffs in the West.</p> The "problem" with Billups is that he isn't enough to lift a team past the second round of the playoffs. </p></div> Having Billups in Portland is scary. Combine him with Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden, and in two years who knows what they could be doing.
