Trent Plaisted will not be headed directly to the NBA. But where he's going could be an even better opportunity.

The former BYU center, who forfeited his final year of college eligibility, has signed a one-year contract with a top-level Italian team, Angelico Biella (also known as Pallacanestro Biella.)

The industrial town of Biella, which has about 40,000 residents, sits at the base of the Alps and has no soccer team.

"So they're into their basketball," Plaisted told the Daily Herald on Wednesday while vacationing in Idaho. "I guess I don't know for sure, but the plan right now is that I will play a lot."

Plaisted was drafted last month in the second round (No. 46 pick overall) by Oklahoma City before having his rights traded to Detroit. While he played for the Pistons' summer-league team recently in Las Vegas, it appeared from draft night that the NBA team wanted to stash the 6-foot-10 player somewhere overseas to hone his game.

Plaisted has generally agreed with his critics that while he has potential as a defensive presence and "athlete" -- a unique ability for his size to roam the floor -- he must develop more offense, particularly a jumpshot that never came into fruition in Provo, as the left-hander usually was able to excel with a back-to-the-basket game.

"I was on board (with going to Europe)," Plaisted said. "I'm lucky. The team I'm going to is a Division I (also known as Serie A) team that knows my situation and they're going to allow me to develop and do those things I need to do to improve so I can go back to the Pistons. There's great competition, and I'm really excited."

He'll spend two weeks in Detroit working out with the team before leaving for Italy on Aug. 24.

The season will run until next June, when Plaisted expects to be part of Detroit's summer-league team again. He said playing in the NBA Development League this winter was not an option.

"For the parts of my game I need to work on, it will be better to go somewhere else," Plaisted said.

Plaisted said the contract details look even better when considering the tax credit and exchange rate.

"I'm not breaking the bank," he said. "But it's a good contract."

All Plaisted will be responsible for is food, gas and cell phone. The rest is taken care of by the team, plus he'll be given six round-trip airline tickets.

Those may be toughest to dole out. His wife, Lacey, has a brother who served an LDS mission in Italy.

"It will be a good excuse to have a lot of visitors," Plaisted said.

And they'll get to see him in familiar colors. Biella, like BYU, sports blue and white.