Ben Wallace's future in Detroit

[Cross]

Michigan Live - According to MLive.com, defensive power Ben Wallace has hired super agent Arn Tellem to represent him as he approaches free agency this summer.

The decision to hire Tellem will surely raise some eyebrows about the possibility that Wallace, who is expected to re-sign with Detroit, might be willing to entertain offers from other teams when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

However, Wallace said his intentions are the same as they were before he hired Tellem.

"It hasn't changed me," Wallace said. "Or how I approach going into this summer with the free agency or anything like that."

Wallace is expected to sign a multi-year contract, probably for at least four seasons, that will start at more than $12 million per season.

[realistic]

Ben Wallace in four years? Ouch.

[Kstat]

Ben Wallace in four years? Ouch.

The Pistons without Ben Wallace for the next four years? OUCH.

We'll have to overpay in order to keep a powerhouse intact. Awwww, poor us....

[DennyMcLain]

Chicago's gonna make an offer.

Where's that Bulls troll when we need him. Who was it, Kevin the Lad?

[shags]

Well, that ought to put to rest anyone's thoughts that Ben Wallace will take a pay cut to stay with the Pistons. He'll stay, but not at the bargain basement price (by NBA standards) of 4 years, $40 million. It'll be more like 4 years, $56 million, with every penny guaranteed.

This also puts Ben in a good position in case the Pistons try to lowball him. Maybe he got some feelers from around the organization that that might happen. I don't think so (Dumars wouldn't do that), but he may be just protecting himself.

[Anthony]

mans gotta do what a mans gotta do

[realistic]

Ben Wallace in four years? Ouch.

The Pistons without Ben Wallace for the next four years? OUCH.

We'll have to overpay in order to keep a powerhouse intact. Awwww, poor us....

What would be your "Let him walk" point? How much is too much? How long is too long? Because eventually we're gonna wanna re-sign this Chauncey Billups fellow, who's been pretty good for us, and who, due to his skill set, is likely to age more gracefully than a Ben Wallace.

[FP22]

Ben's got all the bargaining chips here. He's likely going to milk it for all it's worth. The Pistons really have no choice but to pay the man due to the current circumstances since he can't be replaced in the offseason.

And yes, giving him 12-18 mil per year is severly overpaying for the player he is today and will be in a couple years.

[micknugget]

I think that giving him a max or near max deal for 4 years or more would be a mistake. As good as he is, he isn't worth that and i'd let him go. His stats have decreased this year and will probably continue to decrease as he gets older. It's hard to give up the DPOY but you have to look at the teams future. Do you really think he'll be as good next season? Or the season after that? Keep in mind he will also have surgery on his wrist in the off-season.

[Hermy]

If we let him go we do nothing to help our future. We'll never be below the salary cap far enough to afford a FA, so it's simply a matter of spending the old man's money. Letting him go from a championship contending team to worry about resigning Delfno or whatever is stupid.