Flurry of Movement For Pistons So Far

While the Detroit Pistons haven’t done anything quite as mind blowing as a league-mandated canceling of the Chris Paul, three-team trade, Detroit has had it’s own flurry of activity. If you are just waking up from an NBA hibernation, this is the only post you need to read. On to the bullet points!

• The big news, of course, is that the Pistons waived disgruntled former star Richard Hamilton. I’ll always appreciate Rip’s time in Detroit, much as I hope he will, but I think we’re both glad that the has moved on (possibly to Chicago?)
• The Pistons bought out Hamilton as opposed to using the amnesty provision. That means that the Pistons saved some money by not having to pay the full value of Hamilton’s contract, but also that they can use amnesty in the future. The team, however, has already said it has no plans to use the clause this season. Will certainly be good motivation for Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon to give maximum effort this year.
• Big news item 1A is that the team re-signed Tayshaun Prince to a 4-year, $28 million contract. Much of Pistons nation was in an uproar when the news broke, but the truth is a solid signing and if the team wanted one holdover veteran I am glad they chose Prince.
• The signing that didn’t get as much attention was the new contract to young power forward Jonas Jerbeko. Everyone’s favorite Swedish basketball player reportedly signed for four years and $18 million. It was originally reported as a $16 million deal but if you start at $4 million with standard raises, you get around $18 million, so there you go.

More bullets points after the jump!

• The Pistons also signed their first-round picks, Brandon Knight and Vernon Macklin. While Macklin is a typical end-of-the-bencher and warm body for practice, Knight is a lottery pick who could be the point guard of the future. With Hamilton gone he has a chance to play some meaningful minutes.
• While Macklin signed, the team’s other second-round pick, Kyle Singler, opted not to join the Pistons this season and instead will play all year in Spain. Me thinks he was informed by the organization that it was going to go hard after Prince and few minutes would be available.
• Ben Wallace, who has been contemplating retirement instead of returning for the last year of his deal, looks like he will be back.  Justin Rogers at Mlive reports that Wallace said, “Oh no, I’m here. … I’m giving everything I got. At the end of the day, if that’s good enough to play on this team, or if I have to sit on the sideline and be a great teammate, that’s what I’m going to do.” That is positive news for a still thin Detroit frontline.
• Enough about the returning players, what about the Pistons we need to say goodbye to? Tracy McGrady signed a one-year deal with the Hawks. Good move for a team looking at life without Jamal Crawford.
• The Boston Celtics signed Chris Wilcox to a one-year deal. While I would have liked to see him return to Detroit on a low cost deal, I understand him moving on to a contender. He can look forward to many easy baskets courtesy of Rajon Rondo. Kevin Garnett, of course, might just kill the defense-allergic Wilcox. Good luck, buddy!
• The Pistons waived guard Terrico White, who didn’t play last year because of a foot injury. The team was apparently not a fan of his lack of work ethic.
• Also not returning is little-used forward DaJuan Summers. Both White and Summers have signed on to the New Orleans Hornets training camp roster.
• And what work still must be completed? There is the strange story of restricted free agent Rodney Stuckey. The incumbent point guard has not received a new contract from the team, but Dumars told reporters he is working on it with Stuckey’s agent, Leon Rose, and that he is willing to match most offers other teams might throw at him.
• But does Stuckey want to come back? That’s a little less clear. There is an unverified Twitter account, @HimOn1, contending to be Rodney Stuckey. Reporters and other Pistons have retweeeted and messaged that account, lending credence that it really is him. The account has tweeted that “all I want is a new beginning.”   Not sure if that means he wants to play elsewhere or just wants a fresh start under Lawrence Frank, and wants to confine the John Kuester era to the dustbin of history.
• What would it take to sign Stuckey? Using fellow 2007 draft mates as a guide, probably quite a bit. So far Thaddeus Young has signed for 5 years and $42 million, and Marcus Thornton has signed for four years and $31 million.
• The Pistons might also add a free agent to their roster. While there were early grumblings that the team was interested in Glen Davis, Orlando beat them to the punch. That is a good thing because Davis received way too much money and is not very good.
• If they do have a free agent, the Pistons still have their full mid-level exception to use. They have not been linked to any prominent free agents, but we’ll see what happens.a
• The Pistons also filled out its training camp roster. The team first signed Detroit native Walker Russel Jr. It then announced a trio of new signings, Jake Voskhul, Kareem Rush and Brian Hamilton. Of those, only Voskhul, who has NBA experience and can play center, has a chance to make the roster.
• The team also announced the signing of small forward Damien Wilkins. While there is some confusion about whether he is a camp invitee or signed to a gauranteed one-year deal. Considering how the Pistons twitter feed referred to it as inviting him to “camp roster,” I am guessing deal is similar to the above camp invites.