The Pistons can finally (per NBA regulations) remove Allen Iverson from their roster.

From Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo! Sports

“Allen Iverson has agreed to terms with the Memphis Grizzlies and will sign a one-year deal by week’s end, a league source told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday.

He’s expected to sign a $3.5 million contract, with incentives to make more based on performance.

“God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career,” Iverson wrote on his Twitter page on Wednesday morning. “I met with [owner Mike Heisley], [GM] Chris Wallace and my next head coach, Lionel Hollins.”

Iverson, 34, met with team officials on Monday in Atlanta, where they discussed his potential role with the team.

“I feel that they are committed to developing a winner and I know that I can help them to accomplish that,” Iverson wrote on Twitter. “I feel that I can trust them.”

After a turbulent season with the Detroit Pistons, Iverson attracted marginal interest around the NBA this summer. Several teams, including the Los Angeles Clippers and Charlotte Bobcats, made inquiries, but only Memphis presented a serious bid.

No contending teams bothered to court the 10-time All-Star after he seemed unable to accept a complementary role.”

I was asked today on Twitter by a follower “does this give you closure”…my answer: If he comes off the bench for the Grizz.

That would be the definition of closure “Bad Boy” style.

The Pistons made it Official with Ben Wallace and Eli Zaret does a nice job interviewing him for the Pistons.

Is Ben Pro FRO? It doesn’t sound like it from the interview but he does seem happy to have come full circle back to the place that made him so famous he’s got his very own plastic blow up doll.

If you didn’t know by now Ben Wallace will be back in a Pistons uniform come seasons start.

The Pistons are signing Ben Wallace for the veteran’s minimum of 1.3 million dollars. Such a bargain that he turned up on Taco Bell’s Value Menu.

Don’t believe me….Click Here to Check it out.

Via Chris McCosky of The Detroit News

“On a day when the Pistons signed all three 2009 draft picks, they also reached an agreement with one of their former all-stars.

Ben Wallace, the four-time defensive player of the year, agreed to terms with the Pistons on a one-year deal worth $1.3 million. Wallace is expected to sign the deal next week.

Wallace’s role in Detroit, however, is expected to be a far reduced one than when he left for Chicago in 2006. He will be the fifth big man and serve as a much-needed leader on a team whose average age is 25.”

I wasn’t really in the market for an older Ben Wallace but him on the roster for 1.3 million…..BAM! I’ll take him.

We are unable to FEAR THE FRO anymore unless Ben’s hair grows really fast.

Question of the Day….Does Stuckey give up the #3 for Ben?

Via ESPN.com

“The Detroit Pistons have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent Chris Wilcox, a source told ESPN.com. The deal is for $6 million over the next two years according to sources.”

Exclusive Photoshopped Need4Sheed Photo Chris Wilcox in his Pistons Jersey

The skinny on Chris Wilcox
Born: 03-Sep-1982 (27 years old by seasons start)
Height: 6-10 / 2,08
Weight: 235 lbs. / 106,6 kg.
Position: Center
College: Maryland
Years Pro: 7

Thanks go out to Need4Sheed reader Dominic Mirabella who made my day with his post on my Facebook page.

Dominic Mirabella: “Funny story… this was the tagline of my buddy’s Facebook status at 9 AM this morning. Thought your follower’s would get a kick out of it”

Steve Schaefer:

“…just ate breakfast at a coney island with 2 police officers, 3 regulars, and Rasheed Wallace…now that’s a morning crew. Rasheed was whistling to “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight” on the radio…unreal.”

And that’s what we will miss….SHEEDTastic!

I’ll start off this post by telling you that Rasheed Wallace has agreed to play for the Boston Celtics.  According the Boston Herald the contract is for 2 years at the midlevel exemption of $5.8 million.

Photo/Getty Images

Nothing shocking, it was only a matter of time before one of the teams that were wooing him got what they wanted, but to most of us here in Detroit, having Sheed in a Celtics uniform is not easy.

“The Enemy” to some.

“Traitor” to others.

Some will even give you the obligatory “You can launch your three’s and not play in the paint for another team, thanks for mailing in the last season Sheed.”

But to most Pistons fans we are thankful to him for putting our team over the top in 2004, allowing us a Championship we wont’ soon forget.

Rasheed Wallace is not a Detroit Piston anymore, and to be honest…..I’m surprised he made it this far.

After each season when the dominant Pistons got ousted from the Playoffs everyone called for his head. But how do you give up on a player that can dominate a game the way he can?

The man can be SHEEDtastic at the drop of a hat.

He can make the impossible seem possible.

He’s a Joker!

He’s very tricky..

But he also comes with hair pulling frustration.

I cant count the number of times I sat in my seat at the Palace hoping no one was paying attention to me as I was talking to Sheed from my seat while he was busy arguing on the floor. “Don’t do it Sheed, your going to get another Tech and get tossed, that will be 16 and I don’t think Joe D will be able to get that rescinded. We need you, you’ll be suspended. STOP!!!!”

I may not have lost sleep, but it eats at you when you have so much invested in a team.

That I won’t miss.

I will miss his Sheedisms, his dominance and the fact he made the team fun to watch in more ways than one.

The dancing was a sight in itself too.

He may work well with Boston playing a smaller roll since he NEVER wanted to be “the guy” when he clearly had the talent to be put into the category of one of the best Power Forwards in the game. He’s even got a special relationship with Kevin Garnett going in.

One thing that’s funny to me is all the Boston love for a guy that was the enemy of all enemy’s to Celtic fans.

As for Celtics and their fans…. I come in peace here, but I have been pushed over the edge way too many times by Celtics fans, I do however respect and enjoy some of the many Celtics blogs out there, so when Loy’s Place shot me an email asking me to answer a few questions for them I was just fine…until they ended the email with this…

Thanks!  And welcome to the Celtics family!!!

On to the next part of this post.

I will never ever, ever never be a Celtics fan and I take offense to the mere thought of being a part of that family, because I am not.

I will (until I stop breathing) bleed the red, white and Piston blue, that is one thing you can put your money on.

I will NOT change this website nor my allegiance to the Detroit Pistons.

As you can see from the new addendum to the banner on the site, I rep the “D” regardless of Sheed.

If you followed this site from it’s inception I have stated that fact on more than one occasion. I have be asked the question hundreds of times….”What will you do when Sheed is gone?”

I will do this, nothing changes.

“Will you change the name?”….as of right now, no.

You see, this site was never supposed to be.  I started it as a lazy way to share my cartoon screensaver to my friends across the country. You see even when you leave the “D” you still represent it.  So as a way share my wallpapers, screensavers and videos (pre YouTube days) this website became more than I ever envisioned it to be.

Now….I’m Need4Sheed.

Funny, but I can’t change it. It may be a name to all of you, but it’s almost part of my identity at this point. When you get introduced as Natalie of Need4Sheed instead of your last name things change.

You see, it never really was about Rasheed. Sure there is plenty of Sheed here, he brings a lot to any team, but it is and always will be about the love of the Detroit Pistons.

So Sheed is gone, we all knew it was going to happen at some point. I wish him luck, but I can’t say I will be rooting Boston, but I will be rooting for him.

This is Need4Sheed where we represent the Detroit Pistons..thank you for your time Mr. Wallace and thank you for allowing me to hold this in my hands.

Onwards and upwards….DEEETROIT BASKETBALL.

Joe Dumars wastes no time and seems to be weighing no other options.

The AP is reporting

“Villanueva, the seventh overall pick by Toronto in 2006 who has played all three of his NBA season with the Milwaukee Bucks, also agreed to a five-year deal. His contract is worth at least $35 million.”

UPDATE: Pistons.com has it as front page news now.

David Aldridge weighs in at NBA.com.

And I’m not happy about it….
Via Adrian Wojnarowski the man who seems to know all at  YahooSports.com

“The Detroit Pistons have reached agreement with free-agent guard Ben Gordon(notes) on a five-year contract worth around $55 million, a source with knowledge of the talks told Yahoo! Sports Wednesday evening.

The Pistons are continuing to negotiate with forward Charlie Villanueva(notes).

July 8 is the first day free agents can sign contracts.

Gordon and Villanueva, who played together for a year at UConn, traveled to Detroit on Wednesday morning to meet with Detroit president Joe Dumars.”

Over 11 million dollars a year for Gordon….say it ain’t so Joe.

And, if you follow me on Twitter you know…I’m not cartooning Ben Gordon until I find out his contract is under 11 mill. NO TOON FOR YOU!!!!

UPDATE from Dave Dial at MLive

“A 5-year $55 million dollar contract is what Ben Gordon was reported to be looking for, and the starting salary for that deal would by just under $9.5 million. The Pistons have been reported to have $20 million in cap space, so will still have around $10.5 million to spend on other free agents. If Charlie Villanueva agree to a contract starting at around the $7 million dollar range, Dumars will have a little cap space left over to initiate a salary cap trade or to sign a lower level free agent.”

I’m starting off by saying this is stricktly rumor. It’s coming from J. Gamble, the same guy that said Sheed would Retire if he didn’t get 8 million a year. Until his “sources” are confirmed, take this for what it is.

“My sources say that Rasheed Wallace and the Cavs are beginning talks on a two-year deal worth about $10 million per for the services of the former Piston. The move and negotiations were inspired by Dwight Howard’s dominant performance over Cleveland’s big men in the Eastern Conference Finals.  And Wallace will be brought in for that very purpose, to neutralize Dwight Howard next season and help the Cavs get over the hump.” Via Slam Online

Great, and I do mean great, interview over theglobeandmail.com with Rasheed Wallace. Michael Grange got into a conversation with Sheed on the economy…I will not post everything here because you need to head over there and read it, but he did ask him how much longer he would play….and

If you put a suitcase in a locker room with $25-million [compared with the $56-million or so salary cap] would players take it or would they leave it and go get a job? What would they do?

They would probably rely on that suitcase. I guess it depends on the up-bringing. Myself, personally, I have no problem going out there and getting a 9-to-5. If I have to do that to support my family, that’s what I’m going to do: get my black us up, and get that 9-to-5.

How many more years you going to play?

I don’t know. I guess until the wheels fall off the bus. Or until I’m not wanted on no teams, I guess. I’m still year-by-year.

Seriously, could you imagine sharing a cubicle with SHEED? Utter hilarity all day long.

Lindsey Hunter had a workout with The LA Clippers this week

“We worked him out and he looked great,” Clippers coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy said. “He’s in great shape, and a good veteran guy.” Via The Daily News

We knew that Lindsey would most likely not be on the roster this season, especially since his legal troubles haven’t been straightened out. However I didn’t think he would bolt to another team, I was looking for him to work behind with the organization in some form.