| | ESPN.com news services
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- All-Star Grant Hill said Friday that he will sign with the Orlando Magic.
"This is probably one of the hardest decisions I've had to
make," the former Detroit Pistons star told Detroit radio station
WDFN. "In my heart, I wanted to stay, I really did, but I decided
this was the route that I wanted to go."
|  | | It's looking more and more like Grant Hill will be sharing the state of Florida with Miami's Alonzo Mourning. |
The Magic offered the free agent $67.5 million for six years,
the most allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.
"I was leaning there, and that's why I visited there, and
that's why I didn't visit anyplace else," Hill said.
"Ultimately it's just a good fit, and it wasn't about going
down there and seeing Mickey Mouse. To me, I've always been
impressed with the team and that organization, and it's a place
where, if I was to leave Detroit, that's where I wanted to go."
The decision came amid a heightened courtship of Hill, in which
the New York Knicks flew their management team to Detroit to meet
with him and the Pistons urged him to re-sign.
"I still heard out other teams, and I still heard what they had
to say," Hill said. "But at the end of the day, this is the
decision I made and the decision I'm comfortable with."
Pistons executive Joe Dumars said he met with Hill on Thursday,
two days after the five-time All-Star returned from a house-hunting
trip to Florida.
"We had a very good conversation," Dumars said. "I wished him
well, and we both expressed some sorriness about the situation."
Hill became a free agent last Saturday but cannot sign a
contract until Aug. 1.
He visited Orlando with San Antonio center-forward Tim Duncan.
"There's no guarantee first of all that Tim Duncan's going
there, and I understand that," Hill said. "He's got a tough
decision to make."
Hill has spent his entire career with Detroit. He averaged 25.8
points last season, third-best in the NBA.
The Pistons are now focusing on free agents Jalen Rose, Austin Croshere and Brian Grant, ESPN's David Aldridge reported Friday.
Hill's departure will give Detroit $8.27 million more next
season under the NBA salary cap. But with or without Hill, the
Pistons could sign a player or two to keep them competitive.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. | |
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AUDIO/VIDEO
 Joe Dumars says Grant Hill will not re-sign with Detroit.
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