According to the New York Daily News, the Detroit Pistons may pursue Bonzi Wells and let Ben Wallace walk if he demands too much money.

Teams mentioned to be pursuing Wallace are the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls.

The trade of Maurice Evans to the Lakers on draft night might help the Pistons keep defensive powerhouse Ben Wallace, the Detroit Free Press is reporting.  Removing Evans' salary from the team's payroll might help keep the team out of luxury tax waters.

Dumars said Evans' agent, Roger Montgomery, made it clear he'd rather go elsewhere if his playing time wasn't going to increase.

The Bulls will try to acquire some size with their $15M of cap room as they go into the free agency negotiating period on Saturday, with Detroit bruiser Ben Wallace and Atlanta tweener Al Harrington the best bets to get the first calls, the Chicago Tribune is reporting.

While Othella Harrington and Darius Songaila are unlikely to return, the Bulls may also look towards Portland big man Joel Przybilla, Nazr Mohommed from San Antonio and Cleveland restricted free agent Drew Gooden, all of whom the Bulls have a stronger chance of securing than they do for Wallace.

Denver forward Nene is also a possibility, according to the Tribune, but the Nuggets have made Nene and Carmelo Anthony their off season priorities.

Detroit's president of basketball operations Joe Dumars is confident that the Pistons will be able to re-sign key defensive forward Ben Wallace, according to Michigan Live.  Wallace has one the league's defensive player of the year award in four of the last five seasons.

Wallace said his decision on whether to accept the Pistons' offer or sign with another team won't be solely about finances.

"The money (has) never been an issue to me. My whole thing has always been about being secure where you're at, having an opportunity to start a family," said Wallace. "It's always been about being secure."

Detroit could offer him a contract starting at nearly $17 million per season, but he'll likely receive a four-year offer worth about $60 million.

Detroit dealt Maurice Evans to the Los Angeles Lakers for the rights to Cheick Samb, a 7-1 center from Senegal. Samb was taken with the 51st pick.

"We felt there just weren't going to be enough minutes" for Evans, Dumars said. "His agent called and said they might want to be somewhere where more minutes would be available, and we tried to make that happen."

The Heat will play the Pistons in an exhibition game in San Juan, Puerto Rico on October 10.

The matchup between the Eastern Conference finalists was announced by the NBA on Wednesday.

Miami knocked off Detroit in six games in the East finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time. The Heat trail the Dallas Mavericks 2-1.

The Heat also played in Puerto Rico last year, losing to Memphis. This will be their sixth game on the island.

According to Detroit News writer Rob Parker, Terry Porter may replace Sidney Lowe on the Pistons' bench next season.

Lowe, Flip Saunders' top assistant, has taken his dream job as coach of North Carolina State, where he played in college.

According to Sports Illustrated's NBA Truth & Rumors section, there is growing sentiment that Detroit free-agent center Ben Wallace will have the Chicago Bulls on his short list of teams this summer.

Sports Illustrated cited the Journal News as their source.

Pistons president Joe Dumars said Monday that the status of Flip Saunders returning was never an issue.

"He did a good job," Dumars said. "It's a nonissue as far as his job here. He's as safe as anybody here. That's a nonissue and now we can get past it."

Saunders has three years left on a four-year, $16 million contract.

Two years removed from their last championship, Pistons GM Joe Dumars does not believe it's time to blow up the team and start over.

According to mlive.com, Dumars hopes to sign another scorer and re-sign defensive anchor Ben Wallace, with speculation regarding the latter recently suggesting that it is not a given like most perhaps have thought.

"I'm going to do what I need to do to get him to come back," said Dumars, who addressed the media Monday at the Pistons' practice facility. "But at the end of the day, it's going to be his call, what he wants to do."