Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars’ decision to bring back Chauncey Billups for a two-year contract is an apology of sorts.
Dumars is apologizing to Billups, who was always turned off by the abrupt way he was traded to the Denver Nuggets to start the 2008-09 season four years after he had led the Pistons to the NBA title.
It was the painful start of what Dumars saw as the transition he had to make to turn the Pistons from a group of aging former contenders into a young group of players ready to take that next step.
Trading Billups is usually considered to be among Dumars’ worst moves in running the Pistons. He was a popular player and no one took his place, in that respect. Although it’s not the same Billups as he was in 2004, he can still give the Pistons a decent threat from the outside.
It’s similar to the move the Pistons made in getting Ben Wallace back for three seasons prior to his retirement last year. Wallace had left for the Chicago Bulls but wanted to return to franchise where he won a title.
But the Pistons figure that Bullups has recovered from his foot injury that hampered his performances last season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
USA Today Sports is reporting that Billups, 36, agreed to a two-year $5 million contract. At the age of 36 he might still have enough to give the Pistons the dramatic type of outside shooting they have missed ever since he was traded.
It’s a move that will make Dumars more popular with the fans; the Pistons are hoping it will also help get them back in the playoffs.
