Detroit Pistons Extend Antonio McDyess, Milwaukee Bucks & Desmond Mason Reconcile, & Morris Peterson Signs With New Orleans Hornets

The Associated Press reports on the Pistons signing their top reserve:

The Detroit Pistons signed forward Antonio McDyess to a two-year extension on Monday, keeping the team’s top reserve off the free-agent market next summer.

McDyess, whose career once was in doubt because of knee operations, played in a career-high 82 games in each of the last two seasons. He has one season remaining on his current deal.

My Quick Take: I like this signing. Pistons’ GM Joe Dumars wisely extended McDyess before he hits the open market as a free agent next season.

The former All-Star is versatile. He can play power forward and center. He can fill-in as a spot-starter. And he does a bit of everything: rebound, score, and defend.

Best of all, McDyess’ calm demeanor is appreciated by his coaches and teammates. The veteran will play better next year with the security of a contract extension.

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In Milwaukee, the Associated Press reports on Desmond Mason returning to the Bucks:

Desmond Mason is back with the Milwaukee Bucks, signing a two-year deal that allows him to return to the city he loves.

Mason, who reacted angrily when the Bucks traded him in 2005, said in a news conference Monday that he had put his differences with Bucks general manager Larry Harris behind him and was happy to be back in Milwaukee — a city he and his family grew to love during his first stint with the team.

My Quick Take: I saw a lot of Mason when he was in Seattle. He’s an extremely athletic forward; his physical abilities make him a nice three-man. However, Mason must change his unusual shooting form and develop some outside range.

Mason is a character player. He wants to play in Milwaukee and reacted angrily when the club traded him to the Hornets two years ago-quite a change from Yi.

This signing provides the Bucks with a backup plan if Yi doesn’t report. Charlie Villanueva can start at power forward, while Mason is capable of playing major minutes at small-forward.

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On Monday, in New Orleans, the Hornets officially announced the signing of Morris Peterson:

ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan reported on July 13 that Morris will get $23 million over the four years with a "trade kicker" included in the contract.

"Morris was our top free-agent target this summer, so this is an exciting day for the team and our fans," Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said in a prepared statement. "He is a reliable veteran scorer who can stretch the defense with his 3-point range, which is exactly the role we were looking to fill."

My Quick Take: I’m from Canada, so I have watched Peterson play in many Raptor games. He’s a useful player; I like his outside range and ability to play defense.

Peterson’s also extremely professional. Last year, he never complained despite falling out of the playing rotation and spending a lot of time on the bench. Peterson was ready to contribute when called upon. New Orleans is getting a nice player at a reasonable price tag.

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