When Chauncey Billups went down with an Achilles Tendon injury couple seasons ago, it seemed like the end of his career. He wouldn’t let it be — he was going to leave the NBA on his own terms.
He put in the grueling rehab work and got back on the court for the Clippers last season. He played in just 22 games, starting all of them and averaging 8.4 points a game on 40.2 percent shooting. He wasn’t Billups circa 2004, but you could see him as a quality veteran role player (it’s just that the Clippers and Vinny Del Negro used him in a larger role).
Now the 36-year-old Billups wants to stick around for two more seasons, reports Chris Broussard.
Chauncey Billups looking to play 2 more years. Several clubs interested in him as backup, which he understands. Detroit has done interest
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 4, 2013
That will not be with the Clippers. Los Angeles had already moved him to the two guard and with the acquisition of J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley, plus them picking up the option year on Willie Green, Billups is the guy left without a chair when the music stops.
But somebody will give him a shot. As a bench player, but a shot. He is in good shape and is as likely as anyone his age to have value to a team. He can give a team 15 solid minutes a night and be a good presence in the locker room, and there are a lot of teams that could use that.