DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons are shelling out the biggest coaching contract in NBA history to hire their new head coach Monty Williams.
The deal, reported to be around $78 million over six years, includes incentives that could increase that to $100 million, and the deal includes team options for even more years. That’s a long term commitment.
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Williams, 51, was fired in Phoenix after a second-round playoff exit vs. Denver this season, even after taking the Suns to the finals two seasons ago. He was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2022.
Is Williams worth the biggest NBA deal in coaching history? Probably not. But in this moment, the Pistons are desperate for some sign of success, and the top coaching target on the market is now rocking a Pistons polo.
So what now?
The Pistons are a mess. GM Troy Weaver is a wheeling-and-dealing machine, but the hits have been few and far between. A bevy of first round picks have turned out to be mostly a group of rotation players, some of which won’t be part of a future competing team.
The Pistons have a small handful of potentially good players -- but that’s yet to be fulfilled. Williams is being hired to build a program for long term success, and developing these young guys -- like Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and James Wiseman -- will be the key to any light at the end of the long, long tunnel fans have suffered through since the “Going to Work” Pistons.
The Pistons have the No. 5 pick in the upcoming draft after falling five spots in the lottery, and they have some cap space to work with, but will any top tier players want to sign in Detroit? History tells us probably not.
Pistons owner Tom Gores opened up the checkbook to land his guy -- as a fan, you have to respect the effort. But until there’s any sign of hope on the court, the Pistons don’t look to be ready any time soon, even if Weaver thinks so.