Billups becomes unrestricted free agent

Detroit Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups opted out of the final year of his six-year contract, making him an unrestricted free agent heading into the summer signing season.

“He informed the team this morning that he was opting out of his final year with the Pistons, and that makes him a free agent -- which we expected,” team spokesman Matt Dobek said Monday.

The 6-foot-3, 202-pound All-Star has said he would prefer to stay with Detroit and expects to be back if the team can match the best deal he can find from another team.

Joe Dumars, the Pistons’ president of basketball operations, said shortly after the team was eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers that his top priority was re-signing Billups when he became a free agent.

The 30-year-old Billups, who played with Boston, Denver, Orlando and Minnesota in his first four seasons, was named the NBA Finals most valuable player in 2004 when Detroit won the championship and was an All-Star in each of the next two seasons.

He averaged 17 points and 7.2 assists in 70 games last season, and has averaged 14.5 points and 5.3 assists over his nine-year career. His six-year deal with Detroit was worth $35 million.

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Although Kobe Bryant apparently has indicated he would like to join the Bulls, Chicago General Manager John Paxson sent a message to the Lakers guard: Don’t count on it.

Paxson said he has had no discussions with the Lakers and a deal would be difficult to complete.

“What we would have to give up -- unless that franchise would ever have a change of heart and had to do something -- I don’t know how that would work,” he said. “They’ve got one of the top, maybe the top, talents in the league. What we would have to do to get there, I don’t even know what it would be. It would be significant. And then, are we better?”

Paxson is reluctant to gut a young but experienced team that has made three straight playoff appearances and reached the second round for the first time since 1998.

“There’s nothing going on -- that’s just the reality of it,” Paxson said.