Report: Pistons Expressed Interest In Bringing In Chauncey Billups for Front Office Role

Chauncey Billups played for the Pistons for at least part of eight of his 17 seasons in the NBA.

The Pistons have expressed interest in hiring Chauncey Billups to work in their front office in tandem with Arn Tellem, Marc Stein of The New York Timesreports.

Tellem is currently Detroit's vice chairman, and Stein previously reported on the Dunc'd On NBA Podcast that if the team's current general manager Jeff Bower left for the Hornets' general manager opening, Tellem would take over running basketball operations.

Billups, who has worked as an ESPN analyst and played in Ice Cube's BIG3 league since retiring after 17 seasons in the NBA, was rumored to have been interested in the Cavaliers general manager opening last summer. Billups removed his name from the search though, citing the low salary Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert offered as part of the reason.

Billups spent part of eight seasons with Pistons and helped the team reach at least the Eastern Conference Finals in each of his first six years. In 2004 the five-time All-Star won Finals MVP as Detroit shocked many by defeating the Lakers in five games in the Finals.

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However, despite his strong ties to the franchise, Billups told Marc Spears of ESPN.com he is only interested in taking a role if there is already an open position for him to fill and not if he will be pushing somebody out of their current job.

"I'm very happy with the on-air opportunities ESPN has given me to talk about the NBA in studio and at games," Billups told Spears. "Of course I love my Pistons and Detroit. But I would never push for a job with any NBA franchise that is not open. That's not part of my character."

On ESPN's The Jump, Billups called it "unfair" for those in the Pistons' front office to have rumors surface about a position that is currently occupied and added he has not heard from the team personally about any potential interest in him joining the front office.

Billups is in the top 10 in Pistons history in three-pointers made, free throws made and assists.

Detroit is current ninth in the East at 31-39, six games behind the Bucks for eighth.