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He gets the scorn. His salary ($8 million) is the third-highest on the Pistons' payroll, and his performance has gotten progressively worse since he arrived in Detroit. "Since I've been here, have I had career years?" Villanueva said. "Have I had great years? "But I can't worry about people not wanting me here -- people saying that I'm not any good. I know what type of player that I am. ... I'm just going to let my game do the talking." Detroit Free Press

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva 

The Pistons are pleased with Villanueva's conditioning efforts, and his 6-foot-11 frame looked slim. He has taken up a boxing regimen, and he flew to Orlando recently to practice with the summer-league team. "I'm committed to this organization because they made a commitment to me," Villanueva said of his time in Florida. "It's an opportunity to get better. It's an opportunity to work with the younger guys and the draft picks." Detroit Free Press

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva 

Ben Wallace wants to return for his 17th NBA season, but the roster is full. That means a roster spot would have to open up. Villanueva or Austin Daye could be traded to make room for Wallace. Detroit News

Detroit Pistons, Trade, Charlie Villanueva, Ben Wallace, Austin Daye 

Charlie Villanueva: Happy Birthday to my Vet @EricWilliamsYO, are u in Miami? Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva, Eric Williams 

Vincent Goodwill: There are NO plans to amnesty Charlie Villanueva, for those who keep asking... #Pistons Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva 

Villanueva has no idea what was behind John Calipari’s comments last month saying that he, in his role as coach of the Dominican Republic national team, had “cut” Villanueva because he appeared out of shape in a workout he’d overseen and feared Villanueva’s presence would slow down the rest of the team. NBA.com

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva, John Calipari, Dominican Republic 

Charlie Villanueva: “I’m at home relaxing and people are hitting me up like, ‘You got cut from the Dominican Republic team?’ I didn’t know anything about it. The crazy thing is I spoke to coach Cal like two weeks before I supposedly got cut. Everything was fine. Everything was cool, then this article came out that I got cut. I had never worked out for them. Besides one conversation I had with coach Cal, they never saw me. NBA.com

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva, John Calipari, Dominican Republic 

Charlie Villanueva: “I still don’t know what was the reason. I read I was overweight? I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ That’s not the case at all. I’m feeling great. I don’t know, but whatever. It is what it is.” NBA.com

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva, John Calipari, Dominican Republic 

According to FIBA.com, Villanueva was cut from the Dominican Republic national team that is coached by Kentucky's John Calipari. Villanueva reportedly had a private workout for the team in New York, and Calipari told Deportes en la Z, "Charlie ... was overweight, and unfortunately, we could not slow down the entire team and it was a decision taken collectively." Rob Villanueva, Charlie's older brother, said the New York private workout never took place. Rob added that Charlie has taken to a boxing routine for fitness and is enjoying it tremendously. Detroit Free Press

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva, John Calipari, Dominican Republic 

Villanueva fired back with the thinspo equivalent of "scoreboard," posting a photo of what he says is his totally accurate bathroom scale reading. "Lol case closed," Villanueva wrote as he displayed a reading only 11.5 pounds higher than his listed playing weight. Deadspin.com

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva 

Charlie Villanueva: Quote of the Day "Every Saint has a past and every sinner has a future" Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva 

Charlie Villanueva helped bring unprecedented attention to the Dominican Republic the past few summers as a player with their national team. He is not in the squad for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT), however. FIBA.com

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva, Dominican Republic 

Calipari, who guided the team to a bronze medal last summer at the FIBA Americas Championship and then led the Kentucky Wildcats to the NCAA title, is working out with the Dominicans in Lexington. Villanueva had a private workout for the Dominican Republic in New York and didn't leave a good impression. "Charlie was not in good form when we saw him," Calipari said to Deportes en la Z. "He was overweight, and unfortunately, we could not slow down the entire team and it was a decision taken collectively. FIBA.com

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva, John Calipari, Dominican Republic 

Stars like Al Horford, Jack Michael Martínez, Francisco García, Charlie Villanueva, Eulis Báez, Josh Asselin, Luis Flores and Edgar Sosa have been selected for the preliminary 23-player squad of the (Dominican Republic) national team. dominicanosenbasket.com

Charlie Villanueva, FIBA, Al Horford, Francisco Garcia, Dominican Republic 

If the Pistons make a move in free agency, Villanueva is one of the leading amnesty-clause candidates to free salary-cap space. He is scheduled to make just more than $8 million next year, with a player option for another $8.5 million the following season. Through one-time use of amnesty, the Pistons could release Villanueva and pay his contract for next year, minus any money he might receive by signing with another team, without that money being applied to their salary cap. “I would like to stay here,” Villanueva said. “I love it here, I love it here. At the same time, I'm a realist.” Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva 

KC Johnson: DRose on Villanueva flagrant: "I was mad, man. I’m sick and tired of people trying to take cheap shots at me. I gotta say something." #Bulls Twitter

Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva, Derrick Rose 

Good news for the Pistons, good news for Pistons fans … bad news for Charlie Villanueva, at least as it translates to an opening to playing time for the third-year Piston who, like so many of his teammates, got caught in the crosswinds of turmoil that upended his first two seasons with the franchise. He’s itching to play – “dying to play” as he told me Friday night, headed to the court for a pregame workout in Atlanta. Is he disappointed that he’s not in the rotation, playing in only two games since missing 32 with a right ankle injury that cropped up in training camp? Absolutely. Is he allowing disappointment to spill into a frustration that erodes his hunger? Nope. NBA.com

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva 

Villanueva again didn't play and has played only 15 minutes all season, erasing the optimism he had when the lockout- shortened year began — and the reality is beginning to set in. "Mentally it's frustrating and hard because you worked so hard to get healthy and help the team out," said Villanueva, who fought ankle problems that kept him out the first two months of the season. "Then after you work so hard you don't get the minutes that I feel like I should be playing." Detroit News

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva 

He has two years left on his contract, and is scheduled to make $16.6 million over that span. He could be a prime candidate for the amnesty clause if the Pistons can't find a taker for him. "The fact I'm not being used this season, and we have the same guys coming back (contractually)," Villanueva said. "My mind is, 'What's going to happen next season?' "I feel like I can be helping out, but we'll see what happens." Detroit News

Detroit Pistons, Charlie Villanueva 

Charlie Villanueva, Austin Daye and Will Bynum aren't in the playing rotation and all are quite open about their displeasure with the situation. Daye and Bynum have admitted they wouldn't be opposed to a change of scenery. Villanueva is the team's third-highest paid player this season at $7.5 million and is on the books for roughly $16 million over the next two seasons. Daye is the 2009 first-round pick who is still trying to establish himself. Bynum hasn't seen this little playing time since his first season with the Pistons in 2008-09. Detroit Free Press

Detroit Pistons, Trade, Charlie Villanueva, Will Bynum, Austin Daye