Former NBA agent and current franchise chairman Arn Tellem will be involved in the process and could have an expanded role in business operations but is not a candidate to replace Van Gundy as president or Jeff Bower as GM, Wojnarowski continues. Bower’s continuing role was apparently the main point of contention between Gores and Van Gundy, with Gores pushing for front-office changes and Van Gundy offering resistance.
Bower, who has run the day-to-day operations since Van Gundy took over, met separately with Gores last week, Wojnarowski adds. Like Van Gundy, he was also entering the final year of his five-year contract.
Brent Barry, currently a broadcaster with TNT, is a candidate for a front office role but it’s unlikely he would be hired to run the show, given Gores’ desire to hire a more experienced hand, according to Wojnarowski. The Warriors were interested in hiring Barry to a front office position last summer but his TV commitments prevented him from making the move, ESPN’s Zach Lowe reports. Once Barry’s TV obligations are fulfilled, the Pistons will have competition for his services, Lowe adds (Twitter link).
Billups is front runner
*Experienced* the exact thing Billups lacks
Jeff Van Gundy?
Tip of the cap to you, Matt. Good one.
Thomas former Pistions PG?
This was predictable since mid season. Strange, how the Pistons let SVG make the Griffin deal when they were under .500 at the time, and the team was generally unhappy over the last couple of years with his personnel decisions. Good or bad, the Griffin deal limits the team’s trade and draft assets for the next few years. Now, they’ll hire a GM.
Not unique to the Pistons. The Knicks, after letting a departing TP in Jackson run the draft, let a career marketing executive (Mills) use all their cap space (for that season and likely the next 2 seasons) in the first weeks of FA, overpaying for THJ and Baker. Then they hired a GM.
Sam Hinkie is available.