AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has signed free agent forward Chris Wilcox to a multi-year contract. Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
“We are excited to add a young, athletic big man in Chris Wilcox,” said Dumars. “Chris provides our team with some added depth in the front court and we look forward to watching his continued development while here with the Pistons.”
Wilcox, 26, has appeared in 448 career NBA games (2 11 starts) averaging 9.3 points (52.7% from the field), 5.3 rebounds and 21.7 minutes per game. Since joining the league as the eighth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, he has played for three franchises including Los Angeles, Seattle/Oklahoma City and New York. In 62 games with Oklahoma City and New York last season, Wilcox averaged 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and shot 49.7% from the field in 16.9 minutes per game.
His best two seasons came in 2006-07 and 2007-08 with Seattle where he averaged 13.5 points and 13.4 points, respectively. Wilcox started 81 of 82 games during the 2006-07 season where he averaged career-highs in points (13.5) and rebounds (7.7) and ranked 16th among NBA league leaders in field goal percentage (.529).
He earned NBA Western Conference Player of the Week honors during the 2005-06 season by tallying averages of 23.0 points (.750 FG) and 15.3 rebounds during a 3-0 week for the Sonics (4/3-9). Wilcox scored 26 points and grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds vs. Houston that week, becoming the first player since Shawn Kemp to record a 20-point/20-rebound game for Seattle. The Raleigh, North Carolina native played two seasons collegiately at Maryland, helping the Terrapins win the NCAA Championship in 2002.
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