Detroit Pistons deny interest in Chauncey Billups-Arn Tellem front office

The Detroit Pistons denied a report by New York Times writer Marc Stein that the team has expressed interest in bringing in former star guard Chauncey Billups to work with team vice chairman Arn Tellem in a "revamped front office."

Mark Barnhill, spokesman for the Pistons and Platinum Equity, the private equity firm owned by Pistons owner Tom Gores, texted a one-word response to the Free Press on Tuesday: "False."

Then later Tuesday, ESPN/The Undefeated reporter Marc J. Spears tweeted out Billups' denial of the report.

Billups, now an ESPN NBA analyst, was a candidate for the general manager job in Cleveland last summer before ultimately turning down the offer. He was the 2004 NBA Finals MVP with the Pistons.

On Tuesday afternoon, on ESPN's "The Jump" show, Billups also addressed the report.

"It's 100 percent false," he said, flanked by host Rachel Nichols and fellow panelist and former NBA player Stephen Jackson. "I haven't spoken to anybody about (it).

"It's unfair for something like that to come out. ... It's unfortunate."

Related: Chauncey Billups will run an NBA team one day; why not the Pistons?

Tellem was an agent for NBA players for more than three decades. He joined Palace Sports and Entertainment in 2015 and helped with the team's move into Little Caesars Arena.

A league source told the Free Press late Monday night that Tellem had no interest in running basketball operations, although it’s possible he could take on an advisory role with basketball operations if Gores decides to move on from Van Gundy following this season.

Tellem is also a Pistons minority owner with NBA Board of Governors responsibilities.

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Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy signed a five-year, $35-million contract in May 2014. During his tenure, the Pistons have made just one playoff appearance – 2016 – and were swept out of the postseason by the eventual NBA champion Cavaliers.

Gores was non-committal recently when asked about Van Gundy’s status for next season.

“We just want to win, but honestly that’s what he discuss, how we’re going to get this team to win,” Gores said. “That’s been really important to us. We know we’ve disappointed the fans.

“We haven’t won enough, but I can tell you this team works really hard and Stan works really hard. He’s been here four years, dedicating his whole life. I’m not giving up on Stan, I’m not giving up on this team.”

The Pistons (31-39), who have all but fallen out of the Eastern Conference playoff race, are closing out the season in disappointing fashion despite Monday night's win in Sacramento, Calif.

The team started the season 14-6 and was in good shape at 19-14 when point guard Reggie Jackson went down with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain.

Despite the acquisition of power forward Blake Griffin on Jan. 29, the team has struggled.

Despite the national narrative, the trade was made with an eye toward the next two seasons with Jackson joining Griffin and center Andre Drummond in the offseason program and the next training camp.

Jackson has missed 36 games, but could return at some point this week.

“If your best players were out there playing and were healthy, feel good … great players know how to make everyone else better,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said recently when asked about Jackson’s impact. “Health is probably the most important thing in this league, and everything else filters in right behind it.”