Paulding goes west for shot NBA

Piston pick to try for Kings

September 15, 2005

BY DAVID HEIN
FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER

Former Pistons second-round draft pick Rickey Paulding -- a onetime Detroit Renaissance High standout -- will head west next month to try and make the Sacramento Kings' roster, his agent said.


"Sacramento has some room on its roster for a player who does well in vet camp," Doug Neustadt said Tuesday.


Asked if he was disappointed he wouldn't be playing with the hometown Pistons, Paulding said: "It's definitely something I wanted to do. Whatever reason, it didn't work out."


"Rickey would have obviously liked to play for Detroit," Neustadt said, "but given the makeup of their roster, it would have been extremely difficult."


Paulding, who was drafted No. 54 of the 2004 draft, played with the Pistons this summer in Las Vegas. But he wasn't invited to their training camp next month. The Pistons renounced his rights Monday, vice president of basketball operations John Hammond said.


"We simply classified it as a numbers game," Hammond said. "Rickey is a quality player and has the skills to play in the NBA. For Rickey, it just wasn't the right time or right place for him in Detroit."


"I don't know exactly what they're looking for me to do, but there's definitely a spot available," said Paulding, who played college ball at Missouri. "I'm just looking forward to playing and experiencing my first training camp."


Paulding, who will be 23 when the season starts, played last season in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem, averaging 12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

"My experience in Jerusalem will help me in Sacramento," Paulding said. "I experienced basketball on a professional level from guys who were playing the game as their job. That's my approach now. Basketball is my job."

I always thought Paulding had potential. It's unfortunate he didn't get a real opportunity with our club. We are just too deep. He would be a good pickup for Sac-town.

How could the Kings get him? I thought we still had rights for him, and he was just going to Europe to improve his b-ball skills.

The article quoted John Hammond saying that "the Pistons renounced his rights Monday." Paulding's an unrestricted free agent now.