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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Newsmakers

From Staff And Wire Reports

Agreed Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars confirmed Thursday morning that Chauncey Billups and the team agreed to terms on a contract. Billups is getting a two-year deal for $2.5 million each year. “I never wanted to leave here. Everyone knows that,” Billups said on Jan. 26, 2011, after making a flurry of 3-pointers late in a game to help Denver win in Detroit. “I wanted to retire here.” He’s back to help the Pistons as a pass-first point guard. Detroit dealt Billups to Denver on Nov. 3, 2008, when the franchise decided its championship-winning window had closed.

Acquired The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired guard Kevin Martin from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a three-team trade sending guard Luke Ridnour to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Signed The Dallas Mavericks signed free-agent point guard Jose Calderon. The 6-foot-3 Spaniard led the NBA in 3-point shooting at 46 percent last season. He spent his entire eight-year career with Toronto before going to Detroit last season in a three-team deal that included Memphis’ Rudy Gay.

Manu Ginobili signed with the San Antonio Spurs and will be joined next season by Marco Belinelli. The 36-year-old from Argentina has won three titles with the Spurs and helped them reach the NBA Finals this season despite battling injuries. Belinelli averaged 9.6 points in 73 games last season for the Chicago Bulls.

• The Denver Nuggets bolstered their frontcourt by signing free-agent forward J.J. Hickson to a three-year deal. The 24-year-old bruiser is coming off his best season last year in Portland when he averaged 12.7 points and a career-high 10.4 rebounds.

• The Brooklyn Nets re-signed Andray Blatche and signed guard Shaun Livingston. Blatche averaged 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds last season. Livingston averaged 6.3 points for Cleveland and Washington last season. The No. 4 pick in the 2004 draft who returned to the NBA after a massive knee injury early in his career has played for seven teams in eight seasons.

• The Atlanta Hawks signed first-round draft pick and point guard Dennis Schrvder from Germany.

Waived The Los Angeles Lakers waived Metta World Peace under the NBA’s amnesty provision. He averaged 12.4 points and 5.0 rebounds in 75 games last season, having joined the Lakers in 2009. World Peace was a key contributor on the Lakers’ 2010 title team. A 14-year veteran, World Peace has also played for Houston, Sacramento, Indiana and Chicago during his career. He won the league’s citizenship award in 2011 for his off-court contributions.