Each NBA team’s greatest free agent signing in franchise history

Detroit Pistons: Chauncey Billups, Point Guard (2002-08, 2013-14)

For as revered as Chauncey Billups is today having been given the nickname “Mr. Big Shot”, such wasn’t the case when he signed on with the Detroit Pistons in July 2002. Prior to that point, he had been an NBA journeyman, having played on four different teams before he even celebrated his 26th birthday.

He had averaged just 11.1 points per game over the first five seasons of his career and showed little star potential, despite being a former No. 3 overall pick of the 1997 NBA Draft out of Colorado. It would be the Pistons who put their faith in Billups from the moment he arrived, which wound up leading to the best production of his career in leading Detroit to new heights.

In a little over six seasons in the Motor City — He was traded after just two games in 2008-09 and played 19 in 2013-14 — Billups averaged 16.5 points along with 6.2 assists per game. Those numbers don’t resemble that of a superstar, but he was also tasked with running an offense with a number of talented players who required their share of touches.

The Pistons would make their mark on the league in reaching six straight conference finals from 2004 to 2008. The highlight was unquestionably their run to the championship in 2004.

Despite having just a single NBA All-Star that year in Ben Wallace, Detroit managed to take down the mighty Los Angeles Lakers headlined by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in a surprising five-game rout.

It was the man who couldn’t find an NBA home that wound up the MVP of this series. Billups was stellar in averaging 21.0 points and 5.2 assists on a sparkling shooting line of .509/.471/.929. He wouldn’t make his first NBA All-Star Team until two years later, but by that point, his name was already etched in league history and the Pistons’ trophy case was a little more crowded.