Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Detroit Pistons were one of five teams that contacted center Brendan Haywood when the NBA free agency period began as of midnight. (This report has been confirmed by both Matt Dery of Detroit's 97.1 and Gregg Henson of Dallas 105.3.)

The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers were expected to meet with Haywood, 30, on Thursday. Haywood's current team, the Dallas Mavericks, were also believed to have a meeting set up.

The Pistons also contacted their own free agents, Ben Wallace and Will Bynum, last night. And according to Dery, Joe Dumars is pursuing a fourth player, as well.

Last season with the Mavs, the 7'0" Haywood averaged 9.1 points and 9.3 rebounds in 77 games. He's in his ninth year out of North Carolina, averaging 7.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Haywood spent the first eight years of his career with the Washington Wizards.