Gordon and Charlie V visiting Detroit

[2Cleva]

Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon(notes) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva(notes) flew to Detroit on Wednesday morning for a mid-day meeting with team president Joe Dumars and indications are both are moving rapidly toward deals with the Detroit Pistons, league and sources close to the two players told Yahoo! Sports.

Gordon and Villanueva, both unrestricted free agents, would be significant strikes on the first full day of NBA free agency.

Gordon and Villanueva have history together, and are good friends. They played for the University of Connecticut, although never together. The Pistons have nearly $20 million in salary-cap space and it’s thought that the offers to these two players would come close to expending that money.

Gordon, who scored 20 points a game last season, turned down a $54 million Bulls extension as a restricted free agent last summer.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AqVJ6IgjGRGVyHVm3WmTR_G8vLYF?slug=aw-gordonvillanueva070109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[bdubya]

Villanueva I wouldn't complain. Not real interested in Gordon, though.

[Thunder Dan]

so they essentially traded Chauncy Billups for Ben Gordon and Charlie....nice work

[LakerHater]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Aulu9DoFC3UFVq5pSyZUOwe8vLYF?slug=aw-gordonpistons070109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Pistons strike deal with Gordon

By Adrian Wojnarowski (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/expertsarchive;_ylt=Ajgz.MCFm3LZ.ORhIw5jBIPTjdIF?a uthor=Adrian+Wojnarowski), Yahoo! Sports 18 minutes ago




http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/cn/headshots/adrian_wojnarowski.jpg (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/expertsarchive;_ylt=AlmigVkQR6uHVJiSIIJGrrPTjdIF?a uthor=Adrian+Wojnarowski)
http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/p/yse_lo_70x24_2.gif (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/yhoo/nba/analysis/SIG=11daaeced;_ylt=AnzimJEZJ0X7R348dImXGKnTjdIF/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/top/expertscorner)

The Detroit Pistons (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/det/;_ylt=Ai1q0YQZ0OYbq3p3ApPaqiTTjdIF) have reached agreement with free-agent guard Ben Gordon (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3820/;_ylt=AvslYHPjylFOL_f1Nja94ojTjdIF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3820/news;_ylt=AoNzLs2dIcF3lHSy_7p3r_zTjdIF) on a five-year contract worth around $55 million, a source with knowledge of the talks told Yahoo! Sports Wednesday evening.
The Pistons are continuing to negotiate with forward Charlie Villanueva (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3933/;_ylt=ArIXf_FuJspXs.sjIPBf_HPTjdIF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3933/news;_ylt=AsLFvDzpYufsfeLalfrebsfTjdIF).
July 8 is the first day free agents can sign contracts.
Gordon and Villanueva, who played together for a year at UConn, traveled to Detroit on Wednesday morning to meet with Detroit president Joe Dumars

[gmanrulz]

pistons get villanueva and gordon

[Vinnie_Johnson]

so they essentially traded Chauncy Billups for Ben Gordon and Charlie....nice work

And Amir I might add.

[Thunder Dan]

And Amir I might add.

so, if that was the deal in November, would you to it?

[Vinnie_Johnson]

so, if that was the deal in November, would you to it?

Yes because we were not getting better the way we were just older. We now can move to get younger getting 2 24 year old kids we can build around with Stuckey and draft picks. We will probably blow next year get a high pick and continue to build to be a better team.So yes I would do that deal.

[VivaPopovich]

pistons get villanueva and gordon

still hard to believe that the old pistons, the team that shocked the world in 2004 by defeating the lakers has pretty much been dismantled

[JamStone]

That Pistons championship core was done after 2005-06. It's surprising it took so long to dismantle. They held on for too long. I don't think the current Pistons roster is better than what last year's team would have been with Chauncey. But, it's not just about which is a better roster. In two years, there won't be any question if the team is better with Gordon and Villanueva as opposed to Billups and Rasheed because Billups will be close to done and Rasheed will be retired. If you take into consideration the future and the long term picture, the rebuilding process had to start at some point. So while talent-wise, Gordon and Villanueva isn't worth trading Billups for right now (last season and probably next season), they are younger and allow for that rebuilding process. In no way are the current Pistons contenders, not even close. But, it was a necessary step.

[Killakobe81]

That Pistons championship core was done after 2005-06. It's surprising it took so long to dismantle. They held on for too long. I don't think the current Pistons roster is better than what last year's team would have been with Chauncey. But, it's not just about which is a better roster. In two years, there won't be any question if the team is better with Gordon and Villanueva as opposed to Billups and Rasheed because Billups will be close to done and Rasheed will be retired. If you take into consideration the future and the long term picture, the rebuilding process had to start at some point. So while talent-wise, Gordon and Villanueva isn't worth trading Billups for right now (last season and probably next season), they are younger and allow for that rebuilding process. In no way are the current Pistons contenders, not even close. But, it was a necessary step.

Was curious what you thought I love Ben Gordon's gaem offensively and with a big PG next to him he should do well I just dont see how he and Rip can co-exist and Rip is the better ALL-AROUND player ...charlie is just OK when you factor in Tay and Daye you guys have the skinniest frontcourt in NBA history
BUT some SERIOUS wingspan ...if motivated you should be able to block and intimidate a lot of shots ...who will be the center on this team?