Billups, Pistons finalizing deal...or maybe not!

[Packt]

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070703/UPDATE/707030432/1127/SPORTS0102

AUBURN HILLS -- The Pistons and Chauncey Billups have agreed in principal to a five-year contract.

The deal, though, which is believed to be worth $60 million, still has some wrinkles to be ironed out.

"I would not characterize it as being wrapped up," said Andy Miller, Billups' agent. "The discussions are ongoing. I wouldn't say they were positive or negative. There are still a lot of hurdles that haven't been addressed to our satisfaction or theirs."

The basic premise of the deal is believed to be solid -- five years and $60 million. What needs to be worked out, apparently, is the language of the fifth year. That fifth year might not be entirely guaranteed, or, the bulk of the $60 million will be paid over the first four years.

 

[Rockmeister]

Pistons to re-sign Billups

Report: Billups agrees to five-year, $60M deal with Pistons

Associated Press
Updated: July 3, 2007, 5:38 PM ET

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2925200

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- 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.

The person, who requested anonymity because of league rules preventing contract announcements before July 11, said the final season is a team option.

Billups had become an unrestricted free agent last month after opting out of the last year of a six-year contract.

Joe Dumars, the Pistons' president of basketball operations, said shortly after the team was eliminated from the conference finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers that his top priority was re-signing Billups.

The 6-foot-3, 202-pound All-Star said he would prefer to stay with Detroit and expected to be back if the team could match any other team's best offer.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

 

[Ryle]

Lotta money(and years) for a soon to be 31 y.o PG.

 

[Warhawk]

I merged the two threads - you guys were almost simultaneous with yur posts.

 

[Warhawk]

Agent denies Billups agrees to five-year, $60M deal with Pistons

And then there is this:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2925200

Chauncey Billups' agent refuted an Associated Press report that his client had agreed to a five-year, $60 million contract.

Billups


"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."
A person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press that Billups and the Pistons had agreed to a five-year contract.
The person, who requested anonymity because of league rules preventing contract announcements before July 11, said the final season is a team option.
Billups had become an unrestricted free agent last month after opting out of the last year of a six-year contract.
Joe Dumars, the Pistons' president of basketball operations, said shortly after the team was eliminated from the conference finals by the [URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=cle"]Cleveland Cavaliers[/URL] that his top priority was re-signing Billups.
The 6-foot-3, 202-pound All-Star said he would prefer to stay with Detroit and expected to be back if the team could match any other team's best offer.
Billups, 30, who played with the Celtics, Denver, Orlando and Minnesota in his first four seasons, was selected the NBA Finals MVP in 2004 when Detroit won the championship. He was an All-Star in each of the next two seasons.
He averaged 17 points and 7.2 assists in 70 games last season and 14.5 points and 5.3 assists over his nine-year career. But Billups struggled in the playoffs each of the past two seasons, and averaged 15.3 points, 3.5 assists and 3.8 turnovers in the Eastern finals against the Cavs.