Pistons Sign Free Agent Guard Chauncey Billups

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., July 17, 2002 – Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has signed free agent guard Chauncey Billups to a multi-year contract. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“We are very excited to have acquired Chauncey Billups,” Dumars said. “The fact that Chauncey chose Detroit as his home validates our feeling that this organization is headed in the right direction. We feel he is a player that can come in and make an immediate impact on our team.”

In 297 career NBA games Billups has averaged 11.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 27.5 minutes. Billups played in all 82 games with Minnesota last season and in 54 starts he averaged 15.1 points, 6.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 34.4 minutes. He shot a career-high 42.3% (348-823 FG) from the field and 39.4% (124-315 3FG) from three-point range.

Drafted by Boston with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Billups was traded to Toronto along with Dee Brown, John Thomas and Roy Rogers in exchange for Kenny Anderson, Zan Tabak and Popeye Jones on 2/19/98. Billups averaged 11.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.34 steals in 80 games during his rookie season with Boston and Toronto. Billups was dealt to Denver on 1/21/99 as part of a three-way trade that also included Minnesota. After 13 games with the Nuggets, he was traded to Orlando along with Ron Mercer and Johnny Taylor in exchange for Chris Gatling and Tariq Abdul-Wahad on 2/1/00. Billups did not play in any games for the Magic due to season-ending surgery (dislocated left shoulder on 12/27/99). Billups signed with Minnesota as a free agent on 8/8/00. Detroit will mark Billups’ sixth team in six years.

Named Second Team All-America and First Team All-Big 12 following his sophomore season at the University of Colorado in 1997, Billups averaged 19.1 points and 4.9 assists and led the Buffaloes to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 28 years. As a freshman, he was named the Big Eight’s Co-Freshman of the Year after becoming the only player in the league to rank in the top 10 in eight statistical categories.