A report on Saturday said the Detroit Pistons expressed interest in signing Jason Collins, but a new report says the team’s interest in the free agent center is not that strong.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein reported on Saturday that the Pistons “opened a dialogue” with Collins, who played for the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards last season but remains unsigned this offseason.
The Detroit News countered the ESPN report, saying two sources told them Collins is not seriously being considered because the Pistons prefer a younger player to back up Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe.
Collins made national news in April when he became the first professional athlete in major American team sports to announce he is gay. Most believe Collins remains unsigned because of age and declining skill, not sexual preference.
My guess is the source of ESPN’s report was Collins’ agent, while The News’ sources came from the team. That probably explains the difference in optimism about the possibility of Collins signing with the team.
