DETROIT — That didn’t take long.

On the first day of the NBA’s free-agency period, the Detroit Pistons made major moves to shore up their three-point shooting and perimeter athleticism by agreeing to deals with coveted free agents Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, the Detroit Free Press has learned.
And while teams can’t publicly comment on free agents until July 8 — the first day players can sign — the Gordon deal is believed to be worth $55 million over five years and Villanueva’s is thought to be worth $35 million over five years.
The Pistons came into the free-agency period with between $18 million and $20 million in salary-cap space. Wednesday’s deals total $18 million a season.
Both deals are significant raises from last season. Gordon made $6.4 million for the Bulls; Villanueva earned $3.4 million with the Bucks.
The deals became known later in the evening to cap a whirlwind day when the former Connecticut standouts flew in to Detroit to meet with Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars.
Apparently the money was right and the players heard all they needed to hear.
Their acquisitions are significant. Dumars now can concentrate the rest of the off-season on upgrading frontcourt talent. A trade (possibly shooting guard Rip Hamilton or small forward Tayshaun Prince) could bring the size the Pistons need to contend again in the Eastern Conference.
Gordon, 26, has been nailing three-pointers and creating his own shot since he came into the league as the third pick of the 2004 draft.
He is scorer who is a great shooter and adept at running the pick-and-roll. He stands 6-feet-3 and carries a career scoring average of 18.5 points. His compact body allows him to get into the paint and finish through contact. The only real knock is that he’s too short for shooting guard since he lacks the playmaking skills to play the point. That leads to defensive mismatches when paired against taller and more athletic players such as Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.
Gordon has been on the Pistons’ radar for quite some time and he upped his value when he averaged 24.3 points during a classic seven-game series against the Boston Celtics in this year’s playoffs.
Villanueva, 24, is a 6-10 forward with a budding inside-outside game. He is coming off career highs in scoring (16.2) and rebounding (6.7). He is a four-year veteran whose career has been marred with inconsistency, but when Milwaukee declined to offer him a qualifying offer, a possible emerging talent hit the open market.
As for other free agents, reports have the Pistons interested in Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu, but his age (30) and price tag should keep the Pistons from a deal.
Also, the Pistons waived Fabricio Oberto. Oberto was acquired last month from San Antonio in a three-team deal that sent former Piston Amir Johnson to Milwaukee in a salary-cap move. Oberto was under contract for $3.5 million, but only $1.8 million was guaranteed so the Pistons clear $1.7 million under the salary cap.