Detroit Pistons open up talks with Jason Collins
By Chase Ruttig
Since Jason Collins publicly came out as a homosexual man playing North American professional sports the discussion has often shifted to whether or not the journeymen NBA center would land at the end of an NBA bench for next season. With ancient centers popping up everywhere and making decent money just to be tall, it was expected that Collins should find a new home unless his added distraction would lock him out of the Association.
It appears that after some slight talks with the Brooklyn Nets that Jason Collins may have another potential suitor as he looks to fill the end of an NBA roster before the start of training camp.
The Detroit Pistons have expressed exploratory interest in signing free-agent center Jason Collins, according to sources close to the process. ESPN reports
Sources stressed to ESPN.com that, while no formal offer has been made, Detroit has opened a dialogue with Collins, who in late April became the first openly gay athlete in North America’s four traditional major sports leagues.
Collins hasn’t played over 15 minutes a game since 2007-08 and is a fringe player in the NBA, making this long wait to see where Collins lands business as usual, even to Collins, who knows his sexual preferences don’t change the fact that he is one of the league’s ultimate role players.
“I look at it, honestly, like any other free agency in the past several years, where I know I have to stay patient,” Collins told The New York Times in May. “And I know that at this point in my career, you remain hopeful that there’s a job and an opportunity waiting for you once teams start to fill out their rosters.”
After Collins came out to SI, a poll revealed only six of 14 NBA teams told ESPN that they felt that Collins would play in the league next season. His age and diminishing skillset the contributing factors, not the fact that he is a homosexual.
“The reality,” said one Western Conference executive at the time, “is that he’s been an end-of-the-roster kind of player for the last couple years.”
Said another veteran general manager in late April: “I don’t think he was going to be in the league next season no matter what. I don’t think [sexual orientation] is the issue. I think ‘Can he still play?’ is the issue.”
It appears that Collins faces an uphill battle in more than just his personal life, still with the way NBA GM’s hand out contracts to dinosaurs whose only use is being tall and looking good in suits (See: any Miami Heat center) it would be a shame if Jason Collins didn’t get at least one season to end his career on his own terms.