http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2731833

I think this actually helps the Pistons, though not sure how much. Webber's D is horrendous.

Chris Webber is going home.

Literally.

Webber told ESPN.com first on Monday via e-mail that he has chosen to sign with the Detroit Pistons, which will officially happen Tuesday after he clears waivers at 2 p.m. ET.

Reggie Miller's take

Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show on Monday, Reggie Miller said that Chris Webber will help the Pistons, but Detroit shouldn't expect the C-Webb of old from its native son. Listen
But first, Webber will spend the Martin Luther King holiday with family members after flying to his native Detroit. He also attended the Pistons' home game as a fan Monday afternoon against the Minnesota Timberwolves and received a standing ovation late in the first quarter.

The Pistons emerged as a strong favorite to land Webber from the moment his Philadelphia 76ers buyout became official Thursday. Webber, though, spent the weekend talking with two high-profile coaches to consider their teams as well -- Miami's Pat Riley and Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers -- amid a growing belief around the league that he had all but chosen Detroit.

"Joining the Pistons will allow me the opportunity to play the game I love in my hometown of Detroit surrounded by my family," Webber said in a statement released to the media Monday afternoon, according to The Associated Press.

With his hometown team, Webber will have the "an integral role" with a championship contender that he was seeking, as he described it to ESPN.com last Wednesday. He's expected to start at center for the Pistons alongside Rasheed Wallace.

"We think Chris is going to be a great fit for the way we play," Detroit coach Flip Saunders told AP on Monday. "The guys are excited, I'm excited and the town's going to be excited."

Yet the clincher, according to sources close to the situation, is the ability for Webber to rebuild his relationship with the community that watched him grow up, which is obviously something no other suitor could offer.

Webber is more than a few years removed from his status as a local icon and openly shunned by the university where he became a famous name as a star of Michigan's Fab Five. He sees the opportunity to help the sputtering Pistons regain their standing as an East beast as a golden opportunity to reconnect with Detroit at large.

Dallas and San Antonio were on Webber's original list of preferred destinations along with the Pistons, Lakers and Heat. The Mavericks were never a serious contender because they couldn't guarantee playing time and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich decided early that he wasn't interested.

The Lakers were serious about Webber.


Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
Chris Webber's heading back to Michigan to join the Pistons.
"It was a good conversation both ways," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said in Monday's editions of the Los Angeles Times. "He's got a decision to make. He didn't give me any indication. I just told him that he could help us ... He wants significant minutes. I said, 'I don't know what that converts to, but you can have an influence on the team.' That's all any player can really want."

In Detroit, Webber will earn a pro-rated share of the league's $1.2 million veteran minimum, with $450,000 of that amount -- also pro-rated for the rest of the season -- picked up by the league office. Webber was scheduled to earn $20.7 million from the Sixers this season and $22.3 million next season, with the buyout believed to be paying him all but $5-7 million of that sum.

"This is the best I've felt in three years," Webber said last week in a phone interview. "Now the thing I want to do most is win a championship, put myself back on that kind of level.

"My father said I haven't smiled on the court in about three years. I just want to get back to playing with a smile on my face and playing with a team that can really vie for title."

To help create frontcourt minutes for Webber, furthermore, Detroit has discussed a deal with Minnesota that would send center Nazr Mohammed to the Wolves for guard Marko Jaric, according to NBA front-office sources.

Mohammed said Monday he wants out if the acquisition of Webber means he's used even less off the bench.

"I'm not the type of guy that can sit on the bench happy. I came here to play," Mohammed told AP. "If I'm not in the plan, I would ask for a trade."

Mohammed began the season as Ben Wallace's replacement at center after signing a five-year deal worth just over $30 million. But trading him for Jaric would bring a more natural pecking order to the Pistons' forward rotation. Webber would pair with Rasheed Wallace in the starting lineup and Antonio McDyess, Dale Davis and fast-improving youngster Jason Maxiell would back them up, with the Pistons hoping that Webber's arrival gives a much-needed jolt to the slumping Wallace.


The Pistons are also looking for another perimeter player, having been foiled in their attempts to land Houston's Bonzi Wells and Toronto's Morris Peterson. Jaric's contract has one year less to run than Mohammed's in same price bracket, so the teams would be swapping problems if this trade goes through.


Jaric is openly eager to leave town after two seasons of major struggle following a controversial trade with the Clippers that cost Minnesota a future first-round draft pick in addition to Kevin Garnett favorite Sam Cassell. The Wolves have also been looking for more size up front in support of Kevin Garnett and a rejuvenated Mark Blount.


Yet no trade can be consummated before Tuesday at the earliest, with the Pistons and Wolves playing each other Monday and the NBA office closed for the Martin Luther King holiday.

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Information from The Associated Press is included in this report

c-webb...the worst clutch player of all-time.



"TIMEOUT! wait, we don't have anymore........"


who cares? c-webb was over the hill about 5 years ago, i'm actually shocked this bum was never on the knicks given his absurd contract, injury history, and pathetic clutch play.

Nice move for the Pistons. This gives them a lot of depth. Almost *too* much depth, but I think they'll have an interesting run during the playoffs.

how about Jefferies & Frye for Nazr, Delfino & both of DET's 1st rounders?

both JJ & Nazr have equal contracts, so there's no cap hit for either team... Nazr would give us some depth to back up Curry at C & D Lee at the 4... both Channing & JJ would fit in well w/DET's system backing up Sheed & Tayshaun respectively... Delfino can back up Q Rich at the 2/3 spot & Balkman can get more minutes now that Jefferies is gone finally... D Lee finally gets to start games... plus this gives Isiah another two 1st rounders to work with in the deep draft this season.

i think it's a win-win for both teams.

only problem is it brings Marbury's favorite whipping boy back to MSG, & he's not exactly a great defender downlow either... he does block a few shots though, & is a physical rebounder that can also score in the close-midrange game, so i think he'd make a pretty solid backup for Curry down low.

2 1st rounders & Delfino is "giving him away" to you? it isn't to me... but whatever... obviously my first preference is to get a player like Josh Smith in a Frye package.

as for Nazr, he was Marbury's whipping boy everytime a defender penetrated into the lane, usually the guy Steph was guarding, & got an easy layup.

[Edited by - TMS on 01-16-2007 12:31 PM]

Posted by TheGame:

Not a good trade IMHO. If anything, I would want just Delfino and let Detriot keep Nazr. If we are going to give Frye away, at least do it to get rid of bad contracts. The 1st round picks will probably not be worth giving up Frye.

you can't know that until you see who we get for those picks... we already pretty much know what we have in Frye... if Isiah can nab himself another D Lee & Balkman w/those 2 picks, i think the Knicks make out like a bandit in that trade personally.