The Pistons have registered exploratory interest in free agent center Jason Collins, according to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. Collins, of course, made headlines around the world when he became the first active athlete in one of the major U.S. sports to come out of the closet as a gay man.
Sources stressed to the ESPN.com duo that while no formal offer has been made, Detroit has opened a dialogue with the veteran big man. The Pistons, who have added Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings this summer, have one more potentially open roster spot. Detroit is said to be intrigued by Collins' defensive know-how and they seem him as quality insurance behind big men Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.
Despite the amount of discussion about whether or not the 34-year-old would get an opportunity to play in 2013/14 after announcing that he was gay, it's widely agreed that his free agent stock has been unaffected by his orientation. In actuality, Collins was likely to fight for a final roster spot late in the summer given his ability and age.
Mods – this is not a troll post, just my honest take on the situation:
I really hope someone signs him. Given that he’s an aging big, him getting a spot this year wasn’t a guarantee. And I really wasn’t looking forward to the constant rumblings about how he got shut out from the NBA because of his sexuality that inevitably would have ensued had he not gotten a contract.