AJ’s fiery, preaches D, talks funny, and is a proven winner (in the regular season).

As for Bill Laimbeer, I think it’d have to be head coach or bust.  At least here in Motown.  There’s fans that’d like to see Lambs at least on the staff but I’d say that that’s not such a good idea.  Bill is the fans choice and it wouldn’t be fair to Avery, or any other head coach, for Bill to be coach-in-the-waiting.  That head coach would have to deal with calls for Lambs to replace him after every loss.  There’s too little job security as the Pistons head man as it is.

I’m encourage that even though Joe wants a coach in place by the time the team leaves for the Las Vegas summer league next week he looks as if he’s trying to find the best available coach for the Pistons.  Much unlike what he did last season.

Also see: 

• Doug Collins says ‘been there, done that’. [Detroit News]
• Rodney Stuckey: Pistons players weren’t pushing for ouster of Michael Curry [mLive]

Associated Press:

A person with the knowledge of the negotiations says the Detroit Pistons have agreed in principle to contracts with free agents Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday night on the condition of anonymity because NBA rules prohibit teams from announcing free agent signings until next week.

[...]

Villanueva, the seventh overall pick by Toronto in 2006 who has played all three of his NBA season with the Milwaukee Bucks, also agreed to a five-year deal. His contract is worth at least $35 million.

Well, at least we finally have a Piston who tweets

The Detroit Pistons have reached agreement with free-agent guard Ben Gordon(notes) on a five-year contract worth around $55 million, a source with knowledge of the talks told Yahoo! Sports Wednesday evening.

We may still get ‘Huskier’ yet.  The Pistons are still talking the talk with Charlie Villanueva.  Both former UConn players flew in this morning (and boy are their arms tired) to meet with Joe D.

Is Ben Gordon just another Allen Iverson just with out the reservations about being a sixth man?  Like Kelly Dwyer is asking; is this what we cleared all that cap room for??  It’s only one day into free agency and I’m already feeling deflated.  These two presumed signings, Portland looking like the front runner for Hedo Turkeyglue and the talk of Rasheed being courted heavily by Boston.  It’s much too much.

Also, DBB has the Pistons Vegas Summer League roster and schedule up.

UPDATE: Dave Dial is reporting the contract will start around $9.5 mill meaning the pay is structured in a way that Gordon would most likely get yearly pay raises.

Curry is safe?  Joe D., you sly devil.  Michael Curry’s on-the-job training has been mercifully squashed, for today he is fired.  Unlike the Lions, the Pistons did not chose to go “lalalala I can’t hear you” to their nation of fans.

“This was a difficult decision to make,” said Joe Dumars, Detroit’s president of basketball operations. “I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change.” -Mlive

Nothing against Curry as a man, it was just wrong coach at the wrong time.  He’ll get on somewhere.

I guess it might also be time to park this domain.

Let the “We want Laimbeer” chants begin.

Whether it be Lambs or someones else Joe knows he needs a coach that big time free agents are going to want to play for.  Someone who has a vision that doesn’t include game-by-game lineup changes or visions of small ball grandeur.

• The NBA Draft has become a secondary story to the blockbuster trade pulled off by the Cavs and Suns.  To Cleveland: Shaq.  To Phoenix: Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, the 46th pick and $500,000.  To me this moves says that the Cavs are pulling out all the stops in an effort to keep Lebron in Cleveland.  For the Suns they’ve still got some talent, but it’s not going to happen for them.  Time to rebuild.
• Take a look at The Bleacher Report’s 5 defining moments in Pistons drafting history
• It’s being reported that both the Kings and T-Wolves may make offers for the Pistons #15 pick
• Citing the Amir trade RFA Charlie Villaneuva does not believe the Bucks are looking to keep him, Keith Langlois thinks that he may end up in Detroit.
• You think ESPN’s Chad Ford would like a mulligan — he gave the Pistons an A+ for their draft selections in 2003. While we’re on the subject a certain 7′ Serb looks like he’s on his way to the New York Knicks in exchange for Q-Rich
• Did the Pistons (reportedly) give a draft promise to Darko Jr.?  I hope not, neither does Detroit4lyfe
• It’s been said before, Isiah knows talent. Isiah Thomas would make a better served as an NBA scout then he is as the coach of an obscure college bball team.  Zeke tops this ESPN list of the best drafting GMs

The best of the rest

• Trouble in Celtics land. Aww, this really breaks my heart.  Wait.  No it doesn’t.
• My favorite NBAer Tweet of the week goes to former Piston Nazr Mohammed :
  

  I just saw a really big woman on a small moped, puffing on a cigarette. It just didn’t look right!

• Former Piston ‘big’ man Oliver Miller is the latest to say he wants back into the league.  What do you expect from Miller after seeing this??
• Mark Cuban wants ESPN to blacklist blogging rumor mongers.  …Next.
• If you’re interested Dennis Rodman has a website, but it’s pretty void of the Worm’s time spent here in Detroit.
• So it’s official, Walter Herrmann will not be back. The Pistons say they’ll not be offering Herrmann a qualifying offer. Big Herm is expect to play in Europe.  We’ll probably have to wait until Tuesday to find out whether Kwame Brown will opt out of his contract. If he does Joe will have $4 mill more worth of the funny money to throw around.
• Would the Pistons move Tayshuan to Dallas for cap space?  This is just getting silly.

Dave Cowens, NBA Hall of Famer and Pistons assistant the last three seasons, will not return to the bench next season.

Cowens, who has one year remaining on his contract, will be reassigned within the organization. He will assist president Joe Dumars and do some scouting.

The Pistons are left with three main bench assistants — Darrell Walker, Pat Sullivan and Harold Ellis

This is a great candidate for a “Choose your own Michael Curry Joke” adventure

Not much time tonight to expound on this trade, so I’m going to piggy-back of Matt Watson’s Fanhouse report for the time being:

Just hours after being traded from the Spurs to the Bucks, Fabricio Oberto is reportedly on the move yet again, this time going to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Amir Johnson. The deal has yet to be officially announced by either team, but multiple outlets, including Sean Deveney of Sporting News, who broke the story, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, cite unnamed sources within the Bucks organization confirming the deal.

As if being traded twice in one day wasn’t enough, Oberto should probably wait by the phone; his contract is only partially guaranteed, meaning the Pistons have the option of waiving him before July 1 and only be on the hook for $1.9 million of the $3.8 million he’d otherwise be owed.

Despite the fact Detroit needs to plug holes in their front court after the likely departures of free agents Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess, my guess is that they’ll let Oberto walk and use the savings to help make a run at a free agent such as Carlos Boozer or Paul Millsap.

I hope Amir would have had ‘broken out’ here but there was just too long of a line in front of him to get on the court.  I hope to see him flourish in Milwaukee.

UPDATE: Don’t go buying your Oberto jersey just yet.  This is from Chris McCosky:

The Pistons got four-year veteran forward Fabricio Oberto in the deal. But the Pistons plan is to waive Oberto and gain nearly another $2 million is salary cap space. They now expect to have at least $19 million available to spend this summer.

Here’s what Kelly wrote on Yahoo!’s Ball Don’t Lie blog:

And, bless Joe Dumars, but what the hell is he thinking?
For 2009-10, yes, this could be a big deal for the Celtics. Hamilton could have a bounce-back year, same with Tayshaun Prince, and Rodney Stuckey should improve. Based on sheer depth, alone, Detroit could have handed the hated C’s another Eastern Conference championship. Not unlike the way the Celtics possibly handed Detroit the same thing five years ago.
Beyond that? They would have handed Boston an above-average offensive shooting guard with a three-year, $34 million dollar contract. A 29-year old defensive stalwart, already on the decline, who is owed about $21.5 million over the next two years. And Rodney Stuckey, a nice player, possibly a point guard (his assist ratio rivaled that of Shane Battier(notes) and Derek Fisher’s(notes) in 2008-09), and definitely a guy looking for a contract extension after next year.
What would Detroit have gotten? Sweet, sweet relief.

Sounds like Kelly Dwyer feels Dumars owes Boston for facilitating the ‘Sheed deal?  If you keep reading Dwyer goes on to suggest that Joe might be in denial about this team and what phase of rebuilding we’re actually in saying none of the three Detroit players mentioned are guys you can build around.

Myself, I don’t like the deal from a competitive standpoint.   I’d like to have a point like Rondo (with some sort of caveat that Rajon go through a Hazmat grade disinfectant process to get that Celtic taint off of him before he throws on the red, white and blue).  I wouldn’t mind seeing another package with Rondo in it, but I’d want no part of Ray Allen even with his big expiring contract.

How many moves can we make for cap space?  Unless Joe plans on suiting up Ben Franklin and the boys we’re eventaully going to need some players not just contract assets.

At this point the popular choice is that the Pistons will get a B.J.  There’s even been reports of a promise to draft the Ohio State 7-footer by the Pistons.  Then again with the current economy and a sub par draft class the Pistons could elect to trade the pick and get away from the guaranteed money for a guy who may not be able to make an impact.  Thus rendering this pretty little table I’ve made worthless.

So do you agree with the Pistons drafting Mullens for his size and potential or is there someone who might be available at #15 that you’d like to see the ‘Stonz take?  Or would you like to see Joe trade the pick and put that money towards free agency?

	B.J. Mullens Selections: 10 7′, 260 lbs. Center 20 yrs. OSU / Fr.
	Austin Daye Selections: 3 6′ 10″, 190 lbs. Small Forward 21 yrs. Gonzaga / Soph.
	Dejuan Blair Selections: 3 6′ 7″, 265 lbs. Power Forward 20 yrs. Pitt / Soph.
	James Johnson Selections: 3 6′ 8″, 235 lbs. Power Forward 22 yrs. Wake Forest / Soph.
	Earl Clark Selections: 2 6′ 9″, 220 lbs. Small Forward 21 yrs. Louisville / Jr.
	Eric Maynor Selections: 2 6′ 2″, 175 lbs. Power Forward 22 yrs. VCU / Sr.
	Tyler Hansbrough Selections: 2 6′ 9″, 230 lbs. Power Forward 23 yrs. UNC / Sr.
	DeMar DeRozan Selections: 1 6′ 7″, 207 lbs. SG/SF 19 yrs. USC / Fr.
	Jordan Hill Selections: 1 6′ 10″, 235 lbs. Power Forward 21 yrs. Arizona / Jr.
	Omri Casspi Selections: 1 6′ 8″, 220 lbs. Small Forward 20 yrs. Maccabi Tel Aviv
	Stephen Curry Selections: 1 6′ 3″, 185 lbs. Shooting Guard 21 yrs. Davidson / Jr.
	Terrence Williams Selections: 1 6′ 6″, 220 lbs. Small Forward 21 yrs. Loisville / Jr.
	Ty Lawson Selections: 1 6′, 195 lbs. Point Guard 21 yrs. UNC / Jr.