Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Who Will Be Pistons’ Next Head Coach?

June 5th, 2018 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons haven’t yet installed a new head of basketball operations, but the franchise has a well-respected group of executives and consultants running its search for a new head coach. Newly-hired special advisor Ed Stefanski is leading that search, with former NBA head coaches Bernie Bickerstaff and Jim Lynam reportedly sitting in on interviews and helping out with the process.

The search for a new head coach appears to have led Detroit to three primary candidates, per a Monday report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Woj, the Pistons would like to further discuss the position with former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, University of Michigan coach John Beilein, and Spurs assistant Ime Udoka.

Casey, a Coach of the Year candidate, was immediately linked to the Pistons after being let go by the Raptors. While his playoff struggles have been well documented, Casey had an excellent regular season track record in Toronto, and was “impressive” in his first interview with the Pistons, a source tells Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. According to Ellis, Casey came prepared with “detailed notes and video clips” and exceeded expectations.

Beilein, meanwhile, has a reputation as a coach who is strong in terms of player development and offensive schemes, Ellis notes. He has been the Wolverines’ head coach since 2007, leading the team to appearances in title games in both 2013 and 2018. Assuming his interest in the Pistons’ job is as real as it appears, Beilein’s résumé local ties make him an intriguing candidate, though his age (65) may work against him.

If the Pistons are seeking a younger coach who could potentially remain on the team’s sidelines for the next decade, the 40-year-old Udoka may be a stronger candidate. While Udoka has no head coaching experience, he has interviewed for multiple openings this spring, and comes from one of the best pipelines for future NBA coaches. His fellow Spurs assistant James Borrego was hired by the Hornets last month, while many former Gregg Popovich assistants – including Brett Brown and Mike Budenholzer – currently hold jobs around the NBA.

What do you think? Will one of these three candidates end up with the Pistons’ head coaching job, or will another candidate emerge and ultimately claim the job? If it ends up being Casey, Beilein, or Udoka, which coach will be the Pistons’ pick?

Vote in our poll, then jump into the comment section to weigh in on Detroit’s head coaching search.

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Pistons Want More Talks With Casey, Beilein, Udoka

June 4th, 2018 at 9:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

9:35pm: Spurs assistant Ime Udoka also remains on the short list and the Pistons are making plans to advance the three candidates to meet with owner Tom Gores, according to Wojnarowski.

6:04pm: The Pistons would like to have additional conversations with former Raptors coach Dwane Casey and current Michigan coach John Beilein regarding their head coaching job, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Both coaches have already met with Detroit’s front office, Wojnarowski adds.

This suggests that the duo may be emerging as the top candidates for the position, despite their very different resumes. Casey was named NBA Coach of the Year by the National Basketball Coaches Association after guiding the Raptors to the Eastern Conference’s best record, then was abruptly fired after Toronto was swept by the Cavaliers during the conference semifinals.

Casey, who had coached the Raptors since 2011, was the winningest coach in team history, leading the club to a 373-307 (.549) regular season record. He had one year left on his contract with Toronto, worth $6MM.

Beilein has been a long-time college coach and led the Wolverines to the NCAA title game before they fell to heavily favored Villanova. Beilein has compiled a 248-143 record in 11 years at Michigan, including two trips to the Final Four.

Newly hired special advisor Ed Stefanski said that hiring a new head coach was a priority over hiring another front office executive. Stan Van Gundy held the positions of head coach and president of basketball operations before he was fired last month. GM Jeff Bower was let go last week.

Former Bucks coach Jason Kidd, Spurs assistants Becky Hammon and Ime Udoka, Heat assistant Juwan Howard, and TNT broadcaster Kenny Smith have also been connected to the position.

Pistons Notes: Coaching Search, Free Agency, Beilein

June 4th, 2018 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA draft is two and a half weeks away, and the free agent period will follow shortly thereafter. However, Detroit doesn’t have a first-round pick in the draft or cap room for free agents, so special advisor Ed Stefanski isn’t rushing to get a new head of basketball operations in place. In fact, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details, it sounds as if Stefanski is prioritizing the head coaching search.

“The priority right now is going for a head coach,” Stefanski said. “You would almost say simultaneously trying to find the front office, but a head coach is important so we can get that person to put arms around our players and make sure they’re doing their offseason program and developing. The summer is when these players really develop and that’s huge for the franchise.”

Here’s more on the Pistons, including a few notes on that search for a new head coach:

Here’s Stefanski on free agency, via Langlois: “We do not have a ton of money, so we’re not a player early on in free agency. But in any free agency period, you’ll be surprised after the A-guys go off the board and money gets tight, I believe some good players are out there and hopefully we can get them with the amount of money we have left.”
Perhaps the most interesting name to surface in the Pistons’ head coaching search has been that of Michigan coach John Beilein. Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press makes the case that a deal between Beilein and the Pistons could be a fit for both sides, while Rod Beard of The Detroit News and Andrew Kahn of MLive.com also examine the possibility of a union.
Beard notes (via Twitter) that he doesn’t get the sense that Beilein is interviewing with the Pistons to create leverage for a larger contract from the Wolverines, adding that “this interest might be real.”
Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) recently indicated that Raptors assistant Nick Nurse is among the candidates meeting with the Pistons about their head coaching job.

Jason Kidd To Interview For Pistons Head Coaching Job

June 2nd, 2018 at 9:36am CST by marksuleymanov

Former Nets and Bucks head coach Jason Kidd is in Detroit and he’s scheduled to interview with the Pistons for the organization’s head coaching vacancy, tweets Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports.

Kidd, 45, spent the last three-plus seasons as the Bucks’ head coach but he was fired this year following Milwaukee’s 23-22 start. He was replaced by interim coach Joe Prunty, who led the Bucks to the postseason as the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed.

The 10-time NBA All-Star last played for the Knicks during the 2012/13 season. Kidd accepted the role as head coach of the Nets months after he retired from active competition. In his first season in Brooklyn, Kidd led the team to a 44-38 record, losing in the second round of the playoffs.

In July 2014, the Bucks acquired the rights to Kidd’s services after sending two second-round draft picks to Brooklyn. In parts of four years with the Bucks, Kidd posted a 139-152 record.

The Pistons have ramped up their search for a new head coach following the dismissal of Stan Van Gundy. This week, Michigan coach John Beilein and recently fired Raptors coach Dwane Casey interviewed with the franchise. Spurs assistants Becky Hammon and Ime Udoka, Heat assistant Juwan Howard, and TNT broadcaster Kenny Smith have also been connected to the position.

Bowers' Departure Likely Opens Spot For Garrity

June 1st, 2018 at 10:59pm CST by marksuleymanov

With the departure of GM Jeff Bower, assistant GM Pat Garrity is likely a strong candidate to land a key role in the Pistons’ front office, tweets Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Keith Langlois of NBA.com looks at the Pistons‘ search for a head coach and a general manager. With Ed Stefanski hired to oversee the hiring process, Langlois writes that Detroit should prioritize a head coach.

Gersson Rosas Withdraws From Consideration For Pistons GM Job

June 1st, 2018 at 7:24pm CST by marksuleymanov

Rockets executive Gersson Rosas has withdrawn from consideration for the Pistons‘ general manager/senior basketball leadership position, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Rossas has spent more than a decade with the Rockets and is currently the executive vice president of basketball operations for the team. A close associate of general manager Daryl Morey, Rosas had a brief stint as Mavericks general manager in 2013 but returned to Houston shortly thereafter.

This is the latest development today in the Pistons’ search for a GM as the team parted ways with the incumbent, Jeff Bower. Bower was former head coach Stan Van Gundy‘s right-hand man and viewed as a possible long-term solution.

Ed Stefanski was hired last week as a senior advisor in charge of overhauling the team’s basketball operations.

As Brian Lewis of the New York Post noted, Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon remains a top contender for the Pistons’ vacancy.

Pistons Part Ways With GM Jeff Bower

June 1st, 2018 at 3:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have decided to cut ties with GM Jeff Bower, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Bower was hired to be Stan Van Gundy’s right-hand man when he took charge four summers ago. Owner Tom Gores fired Van Gundy last month and is currently conducting a search for a coach and front-office executive.

Ed Stefanski was hired last week as a senior advisor in charge of overhauling the team’s basketball operations. Van Gundy served as both head coach and president of basketball operations but Gores now wants separation between the two jobs.

Bower had continued his duties after Van Gundy’s departure but his contract was expiring at the end of June and Gores had to make a decision whether to retain him or move on.

Searches to fill the coaching and front office vacancies are ongoing.

On the coaching front, the team has lined up or already interviewed TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Heat assistant Juwan Howard, Spurs assistant Ime Udoka, Michigan coach John Beilein and former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey.

Nets assistant Trajan Langdon , TNT analyst Brent Barry, Hawks executive Malik Rose, Grizzlies assistant Tayshaun Prince and ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups are among the candidates for the front-office job.

John Beilein Interviews For Pistons Job

June 1st, 2018 at 2:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Michigan coach John Beilein is the latest big name to interview for the head coaching vacancy with the Pistons, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi. Beilein, who led the Wolverines to the NCAA title game this season, met with Detroit officials on Thursday.

Beilein joins an expanding lists of candidates that includes former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, Spurs assistants Becky Hammon and Ime Udoka, Heat assistant Juwan Howard and TNT broadcaster Kenny Smith, all of whom have either interviewed for the position or are reportedly under consideration.

The Pistons, who have been without a coach since firing Stan Van Gundy more than three weeks ago, are also working to fill vacancies in their front office.

Beilein has compiled a 248-143 record in 11 years at Michigan, including two trips to the Final Four. He also coached at Canisius, Richmond and West Virginia and has compiled 541 career victories.

Dwane Casey Meets With Pistons For Head Coaching Job

May 31st, 2018 at 5:30pm CST by marksuleymanov

Dwane Casey met with the Pistons today to discuss the franchise’s vacant head coaching role, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Casey was fired by the Raptors earlier this month following another early postseason exit.

Casey’s dismissal was surprising, given he led the Raptors to a 59-23 record this year, establishing a new franchise record for wins in a season. The National Basketball Coaches Association announced shortly after Toronto’s playoff exit that Casey was its pick for Coach of the Year; he’s a strong candidate to also win the official award, which is voted on by media members.

Casey, who had coached the Raptors since 2011, was the winningest coach in team history, leading the club to a 373-307 (.549) regular season record. Toronto won at least 48 games in each season with Casey at the helm and made five consecutive postseasons. However, after being swept by the Cavaliers in the second round this season, the organization decided to move in a new direction. Casey had one year left on his contract with Toronto, worth $6MM.

Casey joins a diverse pool of candidates as the Pistons have searched for Stan Van Gundy‘s replacement. The team has reportedly either already interviewed or considered Spurs assistants Becky Hammon and Ime Udoka, Heat assistant Juwan Howard, and TNT broadcaster Kenny Smith.

And-Ones: NBA Africa Game, Global Camp, Upshaw

May 31st, 2018 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan and Sixers center Joel Embiid will headline the rosters in this summer’s NBA Africa Game, the league announced today. The event, which will take place on Saturday, August 4 in Pretoria, South Africa, will feature a Team Africa vs. Team World format, with Cameroon native Embiid heading Team Africa and DeRozan representing Team World.

Joining Embiid on Team Africa will be fellow NBAers Al-Farouq Aminu, Bismack Biyombo, Cheick Diallo, Evan Fournier, Serge Ibaka, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Pascal Siakam. DeRozan’s teamates on Team World will include Harrison Barnes, Danilo Gallinari, Rudy Gay, Khris Middleton, and Hassan Whiteside.

Here are a few more odds and ends from across the basketball world:

A total of 40 draft-eligible prospects from outside the United States will take part in the NBA Global Camp 2018 in Treviso, Italy from June 2-5, the NBA announced on Wednesday. While Luka Doncic won’t attend the pre-draft showcase, there will be plenty of prospects worth watching, including Cedevita forward Dzanan Musa, who is the No. 19 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com.
The mother of Zeke Upshaw, the G League player who passed away earlier this year after collapsing during a Grand Rapids Drive game, has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the NBA and the Pistons of negligence. The suit alleges that the defendants failed to provide the Drive with the “the resources, policies, and procedures reasonably necessary” to prevent or handle Upshaw’s collapse. Noah Trister of The Associated Press has the full story and more details.
Now that two-way contracts have been in effect for nearly a full year, Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days explores what sort of changes we may see to the rules surrounding those contracts in the future.