Will Monty Williams Field Offers After Parting Ways With Pistons?
When the 2023-2024 NBA season concluded, the Detroit Pistons put together a search for a new President of Basketball Operations. Shortly after hiring Trajan Langdon from the New Orleans Pelicans, it became known that the new addition would have the power to make a call on the future of Troy Weaver and Monty Williams.
It wouldn’t be long before the Pistons parted ways with Weaver as the General Manager. For weeks, it seemed Williams’ job was safe. Not only did the Pistons owe the head coach over $65 million for the next five seasons, but the Pistons made a key coaching hire to Williams’ staff.
Just as it was assumed Williams would get a second season to help steer the Pistons away from a rebuild, Detroit’s owner made a shocking call.
On Wednesday, the Pistons cut ties with Williams and will go on the hunt for a new head coach.
So far, the Pistons have been linked to multiple prospects.
Lately, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been the other two teams looking for a new head coach. With Williams becoming available suddenly, the question about whether the Lakers or Cavs could look into potentially hiring Williams popped up. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the timing suggests that won’t be the case.
“If Monty Williams had been available in the marketplace to the Lakers when they started this search even a month ago, three or four weeks ago perhaps, he might meld into the search process. Monty Williams was blindsided [on Wednesday] with his dismissal,” Wojnarowski said on Wednesday night.
For the Pistons, they’ve been in offseason mode for roughly two months at this point. The Lakers and the Cavs lasted a bit longer, but quickly parted ways with their head coaches once their playoff runs concluded.
With the NBA Draft less than a week away, and free agency to follow, the Pistons surely didn’t Williams any favors by waiting as long as they did to make this call. While Williams could certainly coach again, it appears he isn’t ready to make a quick transition into a new situation.
“I’m told that he is not ready to necessarily just jump right not another job, another process,” Wojnarowski continued. “He wants to coach again, but I think it’s pretty raw today. … He wanted to coach a team, build a team, but now he’s out.”
The Lakers surely won't explore Williams as a prospect now that they have reportedly hired JJ Redick to replace Darvin Ham this week. The Cavaliers are still on the hunt, but so far, there hasn't been any indication they are going to attempt to reach out to the former Pistons head coach.
JUSTIN GRASSO