Detroit Pistons' Last Summer Doesn't Seem So Bad Compared to Other Teams

We signed two contracts last summer, Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon.

Some have suggested that these contracts are ludicrous, myself included. But, after this year's free agency feeding frenzy, these contracts seem downright reasonable.

Here's where we are thus far...

Joe Johnson

Atlanta has a $119 Mil max offer on the table for a guy who probably won't get his team over the hump, doesn't show up in the playoffs, and is probably the second best player on his team.

Dear Atlanta,

Let the Knicks sign this guy for four years at $90 mil and spend your money more wisely. The Knicks are looking to dig a deeper hole than they just got out of this summer, please let them.

Hell, spend 1/3 of that money and sign Childress to an extension. I guarantee that Childress will be twice the player that Johnson is because he's been forced to play smarter in Greece. And, he won't command the contract that Johnson seems to think he deserves.

On top of that, you can sign an actual PG this summer, such as Raymond Felton, and you won't have to rely on "Old Legs" Bibby anymore.

Yours Truly,

Steve

Rudy Gay: Five Years, $80 Mil

Rudy, I can't hate on ya. You're a high riser, you rebound, and you put points on the board for a team that is on the rise. When rookies are looking at Memphis like purgatory, and free agents are only checking it out when no other team wants them, that's a bad sign...that's a Clippers sign.

At 23, it was probably smart to lock Rudy up for the next five.

Chris Wallace, please don't send Rudy Gay to San Antonio for Manu Ginobili and the rights to Rudy Gay's Brother.

Drew Gooden: Looking for love in all the wrong places

Eight Teams. Eight years.

You grew a rat tail in Cleveland. You wore what appeared to be a rain coat to the draft. And, you stole W.C.'s triple one braids in your beard.

Does that warrant a $39 Mil contract? I don't know, it seems like the Bucks just did the Villanueva contract over again.

But what do you expect? It's John Hammond, from the Detroit think tank. You make an idiot move, follow it up with genius moves last year, then sandwich it together with another idiot move.

Although, to compound this contract, he brought in Corey Maggette and is trying to sign Salmons back, so...

Darko: The Rodney Dangerfield of Basketball

First Dumars selected you in front of half of this year's coveted free agents, then he traded you for the Stuckey pick and a bag of marbles. Every stop of your career has been hype then failure.

Then David Kahn saw your crying by yourself because all of your fellow classmates were being fawned over this summer, so he did what any good Minnesota GM would do, and signed you to an inflated contract.

You'll finally get to start because Al Jefferson doesn't understand the triangle.

Final Grade:

Darko: A++++

Minnesota: D-

If Darko finally reaches his potential, Kahn looks like a genius, even after he drafted two lottery PGs one year and three SFs the next. My guess is that Minnesota is in the fight for worst record again this year. They have no idea what they are doing.

Amir Johnson: I can't belive we let this guy go

Yes I can.

You were a stud here in Detroit...during the summer league.

You were a stud in Milwaukee...during the summer league.

You were a stud in Toronto...coming off the bench.

Why did you just receive $34 Mil for five years? Oh, that's right, ESPN and every other publication hyped you up as a free agent to go after and Toronto doesn't want to lose another athlete wing player.

Oh Toronto fans, I know your wrath will soon descend upon me, but after the signing of Hedo last summer and your rants about being in the playoffs were unfounded, it's hard to believe your wrath anymore.

Worst signing thus far, tied with Darko. These last two signings make me feel so much better about our contracts last year.

Thank you Toronto, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Atlanta for having more dollars than sense.