It was widely reported last week and confirmed by his agent, Andy Miller, that Billups and the Pistons had agreed to contract terms that will keep their point guard in Detroit for the next five years.

NBA teams are prohibited from commenting on the status of negotiations, even if an agreement has been reached, until the moratorium period ends.

Pistons president Joe Dumars had maintained throughout the season that signing Billups would be his first priority and expressed confidence that it would be not the same way talks went last year with Ben Wallace. It did not take Dumars by surprise that the Chicago Bulls made Wallace an overwhelming offer, nor did it catch him off guard this summer that Billups was not similarly overwhelmed. There simply was no match of a team with a glaring need at point guard and the sufficient salary cap room to price the Pistons out of the market.

Next on Dumars’ list of priorities, as he enumerated when the regular season ended, will be to sign restricted free agent Amir Johnson. If Johnson is re-signed on Wednesday, it’s still possible he could join the team in time for the remainder of their Las Vegas Summer League schedule. The Pistons will play Washington on Wednesday in the third of their five scheduled games.

Once Johnson is accommodated, Dumars can begin to look at the rest of the items on his agenda, which includes sorting out the frontcourt and easing the backcourt logjam created by the drafting of Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo and Sammy Mejia.

While Chris Webber mulls his future, Dumars must consider what his value might be for an organization committed to finding playing time for Johnson and Jason Maxiell in addition to mainstays Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess. It might come down to this: If Dumars can’t find a trade market for Nazr Mohammed, he might decide to pass on re-signing Webber.

A contract extension for McDyess is also on the docket as is a decision on whether a roster spot is available for 7-footer Cheick Samb, whose Vegas performances have been a mixed bag – the occasional spectacular block or eye-opening perimeter jumper interspersed with moments that remind observers he just started playing the sport four years ago.

At guard, Dumars probably will explore the trade market for Flip Murray once the dust settles on free agency and teams have a better gauge on what they can expect from draft choices after seeing them in summer play. All indications are that Lindsey Hunter intends to play another year, though the Pistons could also include Hunter in a trade to make contracts work under the salary cap if the situation calls for it.

With Grant Hill expected to sign on Wednesday with Phoenix, it now appears likely the Pistons will not use their mid-level exception on a free agent. Dumars said Wednesday that he’s comfortable going into the season with some combination of Afflalo, Mejia and veteran Ronald Dupree backing up Tayshaun Prince at small forward.