Ben Gordon, formerly of the Chicago Bulls, and Charlie Villanueva, formerly of the Milwaukee Bucks, have reportedly agreed to five year deals with the Detroit Pistons. Gordon, who threated to leave the Bulls last offseason, had enough of the Bulls. He was clearly looking to leave the team and sign elsewhere, and the Pistons showed great interest in him. Both players met with the Pistons on the first day of free agency, and both were offered contracts they wouldn't deny. Gordon's contract is reportedly worth $55 million over five years and Villanueva's deal is worth $40 million over five years.
I was very interested to see what the Pistons would do because of their bad season this past year, combined with the fact they were losing Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace to free agency. This is what they did, and I am impressed with the signing of Gordon. Gordon can become the scorer for the Pistons. Gordon has shown how clutch he is as well in the playoffs and in years past. Gordon could end up averaging at least 20 points a game, along with Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton scoring. Of course, Hamilton or Gordon would have to come off the bench.
They also picked up Villanueva, which is a good move because they get a role player. However, I don't think Villanueva is worth more than the mid-level exception, which is around $5 million per season. The Pistons overspent to get him and they made end up trading him in two to three years, if not closer. Even with these moves, I can't envision the Pistons making the playoffs. They don't have the players necessary to get to the playoffs, even though they got Gordon, who has been to the playoffs numerous times. This team would be a work in progress with the new additions.
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