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Gordon is expected to help Detroit close out games
Well that didn't take very long, now did it? A day after firing head coach Michael Curry, the Pistons brought in free agents Ben Gordon (Chicago) and Charlie Villanueva (Milwaukee) to Detroit for a meeting with general manager Joe Dumars earlier today. The courting process must have worked to perfection, because the Pistons walked away with both players late Wednesday afternoon.
Gordon, a five year NBA veteran, agreed to a five year, $55 million deal, which was exactly the amount ($11 million per season) he claimed the Pistons promised him last summer. He's expected to fill a much needed role of "closer" down the stretch of tight games, something the Pistons have lacked ever since Chauncey Billups left town. But with Gordon aboard, does Rip Hamilton stick around, or does he instantly become trade bait? At this point, don't be surprised in the least if Hamilton gets moved somehow to clear up more cap space.
Villanueva, who is expected to be Detroit's answer at power forward, also signed a five year deal, although his is worth significantly less than Gordon's at $35 million. While he comes with a fair share of injury concerns, Villanueva is still only 24 years old. He has all the tools to be an effective NBA big man, and hopefully he can put everything together and have a career season in '09-'10. The only question with Villanueva is whether he can slide over and man the center position. Much of this depends on our new head coach and his style of play, but at 6'11", it's clear that Charlie could probably play center if we really need him to.
Free agent deals cannot be officially announced until July 8th, but the terms of these two contracts are pretty much set in stone, so don't expect much to change here. While it's hard to be enamored with signing guys who aren't big time NBA stars, I think people are underrating this move a bit. The shooting guard position has been taken care of, and Villanueva is literally brimming with potential. Don't forget, Charlie V is a guy who has dropped 48 points in a game already during his career, which is a ridiculous feat for a big man to have on his resume. Will this move pay huge dividends and push the Pistons into the top half of the Eastern Conference? Probably not. But the rebuilding mode is clearly underway, and these are two very large pieces in a puzzle that might not be too far from completion. Despite taking $90 million to get this done, it appears that better days are definitely on the horizon for Detroit basketball.
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