Pistons won't buy out Tayshaun Prince's contract, according to report

Shortly after being traded back to the team that drafted him, there was chatter Thursday that Tayshaun Prince, who turns 35 later this month, could seek a buyout from the Detroit Pistons. It was just last month that Prince was reported to seeking the same from the Boston Celtics in hopes of latching on with a contender, and considering the Pistons are competing for the same No. 8 seed as the Celtics, it's understandable if the change of scenery didn't also bring a change of heart.

A buyout is not going to happen, though. Whether he's happy about it or not, "Prince will remain with the Pistons for the rest of the final season of the four-year, $27-million contract he signed with the Pistons shortly after the 2011 lockout," reports Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, citing an unidentified league source.

Stan Van Gundy also praised Prince in a statement released by the team announcing the move, with language that suggests he's seen as an integral part of the rotation. "Tayshaun Prince is certainly well known to fans in Detroit and we’re pleased to welcome him back," said Van Gundy. "He fills a position of need for us at small forward with his offensive and defensive versatility."

A buyout makes zero sense from a financial perspective, either: Prince is making slightly more money this season ($7.7 million) than Jonas Jerebko ($4.5 million) and Luigi Datome ($1.75 million) combined. You don't trade for more money if your hope is to negotiate a buyout for less.

Thursday's report came from A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com in Boston. Blakely, you may recall, covered the Pistons for MLive.com during Prince's first stint in Detroit -- I trust that he's as plugged into Prince's feelings as anyone currently covering the Celtics. But hopefully Prince embraces the current challenge of simply making the playoffs instead of regretting the chance to play deep into the postseason.