ducks
10-18-2005, 09:42 AM
Pistons, Prince aren't near deal
Forward's agent leaves town as sides attempt to reach agreement before Oct. 31 deadline.
The Pistons are still working on a new deal for Tayshaun Prince.
AUBURN HILLS -- Negotiations on a contract extension for Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince aren't quite at an impasse, but it wasn't a good sign that agent Bill Duffy left for California Saturday morning without a deal in place.
"We're nowhere as of this point," Prince said after practice Saturday. "We haven't progressed, so we'll see. We still have two weeks to get something done."
When asked if he would characterize the negotiations as stalemated, Prince said, "We are still a little part away."
Prince is in the fourth year of his rookie contract. The Pistons are offering him a five-year extension believed to be worth between $45 million and $50 million.
There were a couple of signings over the summer that might be causing Prince and Duffy to seek a higher number. Cleveland paid swingman Larry Hughes $60 million over five years, Atlanta paid Joe Johnson $70 million over five years, and Chicago paid Tyson Chandler, Prince's high school teammate and fellow Compton native, $75 million over six years.
A $50 million deal would make Prince the Pistons' third-highest paid player, behind Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton. If no deal is reached by Oct. 31, Prince will become a restricted free agent in July.
"If we don't get it done, we'll just play it out," Prince said. "I've played three years already, so I am not going to let it bother me. I still have to represent Detroit basketball. I am not going to let it affect me at all."
Pistons president Joe Dumars said on Saturday that talks were continuing, and that he was still optimistic a deal would get done before Oct. 31.
Un-masked
The Pistons coaches and training staff held their collective breath Saturday after Hamilton took a shot in his thrice-broken nose during a scrimmage.
He was fine, but it renewed concern over Hamilton's reluctance to wear a protective mask. One more break and Hamilton could face major surgery.
"We tell him what could happen," said Arnie Kander, Pistons physical therapist. "He feels comfortable without it."
Coach Flip Saunders said he would keep after Hamilton to wear the mask.
"I might still wear it," Hamilton said. "I don't wear it in practice (or the exhibition games, yet). But the more aggressive I get going to the basket, the more I start to wear it."
Reunion time
Saunders will face his old team, the Timberwolves, for the first time tonight (6 p.m. at The Palace). "It'll seem weird once the game starts," Saunders said. "They are going to know more about what we do than we will know about them. But it will be good to see the guys. I was with Kevin Garnett for 10 years. I spent more time with him than I did my wife."
You can reach Chris McCosky at (313) 222-1489 or [email protected]
Forward's agent leaves town as sides attempt to reach agreement before Oct. 31 deadline.
The Pistons are still working on a new deal for Tayshaun Prince.
AUBURN HILLS -- Negotiations on a contract extension for Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince aren't quite at an impasse, but it wasn't a good sign that agent Bill Duffy left for California Saturday morning without a deal in place.
"We're nowhere as of this point," Prince said after practice Saturday. "We haven't progressed, so we'll see. We still have two weeks to get something done."
When asked if he would characterize the negotiations as stalemated, Prince said, "We are still a little part away."
Prince is in the fourth year of his rookie contract. The Pistons are offering him a five-year extension believed to be worth between $45 million and $50 million.
There were a couple of signings over the summer that might be causing Prince and Duffy to seek a higher number. Cleveland paid swingman Larry Hughes $60 million over five years, Atlanta paid Joe Johnson $70 million over five years, and Chicago paid Tyson Chandler, Prince's high school teammate and fellow Compton native, $75 million over six years.
A $50 million deal would make Prince the Pistons' third-highest paid player, behind Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton. If no deal is reached by Oct. 31, Prince will become a restricted free agent in July.
"If we don't get it done, we'll just play it out," Prince said. "I've played three years already, so I am not going to let it bother me. I still have to represent Detroit basketball. I am not going to let it affect me at all."
Pistons president Joe Dumars said on Saturday that talks were continuing, and that he was still optimistic a deal would get done before Oct. 31.
Un-masked
The Pistons coaches and training staff held their collective breath Saturday after Hamilton took a shot in his thrice-broken nose during a scrimmage.
He was fine, but it renewed concern over Hamilton's reluctance to wear a protective mask. One more break and Hamilton could face major surgery.
"We tell him what could happen," said Arnie Kander, Pistons physical therapist. "He feels comfortable without it."
Coach Flip Saunders said he would keep after Hamilton to wear the mask.
"I might still wear it," Hamilton said. "I don't wear it in practice (or the exhibition games, yet). But the more aggressive I get going to the basket, the more I start to wear it."
Reunion time
Saunders will face his old team, the Timberwolves, for the first time tonight (6 p.m. at The Palace). "It'll seem weird once the game starts," Saunders said. "They are going to know more about what we do than we will know about them. But it will be good to see the guys. I was with Kevin Garnett for 10 years. I spent more time with him than I did my wife."
You can reach Chris McCosky at (313) 222-1489 or [email protected]