Pistons, Prince agree on 5-year, $47 million extension

[Spurs Brazil]

If the NBA's 2002 draft was re-staged today, it's not a major stretch to suggest that a slender, long-limbed lefty named Tayshaun Prince would be a top-three overall pick instead of No. 23.



D. Lippitt/Einstien/NBAE via Getty Images
Prince averaged career-bests in points and rebounds last year.
At the very least, Prince is now the third-richest player to emerge from the first round of that draft.

That was confirmed Sunday evening, when the Detroit Pistons and their perimeter defensive ace reached an agreement in principle on a five-year contract extension believed to be worth at least $47 million.

Pistons president Joe Dumars and Bill Duffy, the agent for Prince, told ESPN.com that the deal will be formally signed Monday, just in time to beat the Halloween deadline on extensions for players entering their fourth season. Without an extension before the Oct. 31 buzzer, Prince would have become a restricted free agent July 1.

The only fellow 2002 first-rounders ahead of Prince monetarily are Houston's Yao Ming (taken No. 1 overall) and Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire (No. 9), both of whom recently received maximum five-year extensions worth in excess of $70 million. Carlos Boozer, selected in the second round by Cleveland in '02, signed a six-year deal with Utah worth $68 million before last season.

Denver power forward Nene (No. 7 overall), New Jersey center Nenad Krstic (No. 24) and Golden State swingman Mike Dunleavy (No. 3) also rank as '02 successes, but Prince is the only member of that draft class with a championship ring, having played a significant role on the Detroit teams that made back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals.

"The Pistons have believed in Tayshaun from the start," Duffy said. "This is where he wants to be. Many teams overlooked him, but Joe Dumars has always recognized Tayshaun's talent and his resolve."

After more than a month of negotiations, with the Prince camp seeking $50 million and the Pistons hoping to keep the deal in the $45 million range, Sunday's accord means Detroit will have only one prominent free agent to re-sign next summer instead of two.

Ben Wallace, Detroit's defensive anchor, becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1. Although the 31-year-old is sure to attract considerable interest on the open market, no one really expects Wallace to leave the team and city where he became an All-Star rebounding machine and a cult hero synonymous with the Pistons' hard-hat style.

In the interim, Prince joins Rasheed Wallace (four seasons left at nearly $48 million) and Richard Hamilton (five seasons left at just over $50 million) on the list of Pistons starters with long-term deals. The 6-foot-9, 215-pounder added some offense to his game last season, averaging a career-best 14.7 points and 5.3 rebounds.

The down-the-road challenge for Dumars, after the expected re-signing of Ben Wallace, is manufacturing the salary-cap flexibility to re-sign Chauncey Billups and Darko Milicic.

Billups quickly became classified as a bargain when the well-traveled point guard was named NBA Finals MVP after leading the Pistons to a 4-1 rout of the favored Lakers for the 2004 championship. He has three seasons left on his contract, at $19.1 million, but Billups also has an opt-out in his contract after the 2006-07 season and will almost certainly exercise it to seek a raise.

Milicic, drafted No. 2 overall behind LeBron James in the 2003 draft, will also be eligible for an extension in the summer of 2007. If Milicic continues to build on the early hints of progress seen under new coach Flip Saunders, and if the Pistons decide they want to keep him, they face the rare prospect of a payroll with six lucrative long-term deals entering the 2007-08 season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/column...arc&id=2208888

[coyotes_geek]

It's a bit more than I'd be willing to pay him, but good for him that he got it.

[ProjectGSX]

More than a bit IMO. Thats quite a bit of cash.

[bnwhuxley]

That, plus a max or near max contract for Ben, puts them way way way over the luxury tax threshold in 2006-07.

[bnwhuxley]

Wait a sec.

Bobby Simmons gets 48m
Mike Dunleavy gets 44m
Caron Butler gets 46m

I guess you could still call Tayshaun Prince a bargain, huh?

[Grego]

It seems that owners are more willing to pay up with one less year. That seems to be the trend.

Out of all th guys BNW listed, Prince deserves that money more than any of them. High about, but the guy is young and still can grow into a more offensive player. He's already solid on the defensive end.

[Fool]

It is a bit more than most Piston fans wanted to also, however it was pretty clear after the Simmons deal that the ideal price for Prince wasn't going to happen. All in all, I'm happy with the amount.

Originally Posted by bnwhuxley

That, plus a max or near max contract for Ben, puts them way way way over the luxury tax threshold in 2006-07.

It does indeed. The concensus around Detroit is that next year McDyess will be moved should Darko show signs that he can be a legit backup. Perhaps Arroyo will be delt as well. These moves would keep the Pistons below the tax but the days of being around the cap are gone in Detroit for a while.

[Matias]

Originally Posted by Fool

It is a bit more than most Piston fans wanted to also, however it was pretty clear after the Simmons deal that the ideal price for Prince wasn't going to happen. All in all, I'm happy with the amount.



It does indeed. The concensus around Detroit is that next year McDyess will be moved should Darko show signs that he can be a legit backup. Perhaps Arroyo will be delt as well. These moves would keep the Pistons below the tax but the days of being around the cap are gone in Detroit for a while.

What do you think about Delfino? Have you seen him play during the preseason? I know he is healthy now.
I just want him to do fine. He is talented. Not sure about his head tho.

[Fool]

His head is definately still a concern after all the unneccessary drama that went on around him (some his fault, some not his fault). So far, out from under Brown we haven't heard anything negative from him or about him.

As for his play. Its been a bit odd as he wasn't ever the focal point of any of the lineups in the preseason, which you wouldn't expect with a player who isn't proven yet (it doesn't look as though they've been testing his play but rather have already decided on his roster position). His shot has been streaky but his passing has been good. He's not gambling as much on defense, which is good but he's still not the best defender (a lot like RIP two seasons ago or so) and he's running the floor well. He's been somewhat of a reliable vet with the squads he's been playing with in the sense that he's getting dump offs with the shot clock low or making a timely basket but never really having a play run for him. He's handled the ball well and his slashing is solid (he can really take it to the rim and does so well) but his shooting %s are low and he's not getting to the line all that much. The most notable thing he's done is that Flip has installed an unorthodox free throw rebounding play and has had Carlos running it. Its very unexpected and if reports are true its a clever way to use the free throw rules to the shooting teams advantage.

Anyway, right now he is considered either the 2nd swingman off the bench (behind Mo Evans) or the primary backup for the 2 spot (RIP Hamiltons position). Hopes are high as Delfino played well last year (during the regular season) before his injury and pretty well, all told, this preseason. But the feeling from fans are mixed as many are still wary (or even don't like him) from the trouble last year.

[Matias]

Originally Posted by Fool

His head is definately still a concern after all the unneccessary drama that went on around him (some his fault, some not his fault). So far, out from under Brown we haven't heard anything negative from him or about him.

As for his play. Its been a bit odd as he wasn't ever the focal point of any of the lineups in the preseason, which you wouldn't expect with a player who isn't proven yet (it doesn't look as though they've been testing his play but rather have already decided on his roster position). His shot has been streaky but his passing has been good. He's not gambling as much on defense, which is good but he's still not the best defender (a lot like RIP two seasons ago or so) and he's running the floor well. He's been somewhat of a reliable vet with the squads he's been playing with in the sense that he's getting dump offs with the shot clock low or making a timely basket but never really having a play run for him. He's handled the ball well and his slashing is solid (he can really take it to the rim and does so well) but his shooting %s are low and he's not getting to the line all that much. The most notable thing he's done is that Flip has installed an unorthodox free throw rebounding play and has had Carlos running it. Its very unexpected and if reports are true its a clever way to use the free throw rules to the shooting teams advantage.

Anyway, right now he is considered either the 2nd swingman off the bench (behind Mo Evans) or the primary backup for the 2 spot (RIP Hamiltons position). Hopes are high as Delfino played well last year (during the regular season) before his injury and pretty well, all told, this preseason. But the feeling from fans are mixed as many are still wary (or even don't like him) from the trouble last year.

Thank you.
He never should have opened the mouth. He is young, and made a mistake.
He must focus on playing bball and shut up. If he does, he might have a chance.

[Falcone]

I still think the Pistons are just as serious of a title contender as the Spurs. I fully expect a rematch in the Finals!