Pistons to Hire Monty Williams; Spurs, Gregg Popovich Affected?
The Detroit Pistons are in the process of making Monty Williams their new head coach, offering him a six-year contract worth $78.5 million.
The deal makes Williams the highest-paid coach in the entire NBA, surpassing Gregg Popovich. In an ironic twist of fate, Popovich coached Williams during his playing career from 1996-98, the first two years of his tenure with the San Antonio Spurs. Williams is projected to make $13.1 million per season, while Popovich made $13 million last season, per Bleacher Report.
Now, Williams has taken over Popovich's spot as the highest-paid coach in the league, but it may not be long for Pop to take that No. 1 spot back again.
Popovich, 74, is still not under contract for the 2023-24 season, but all signs point to him returning to San Antonio for his 28th season at the helm. After the Spurs were awarded the No. 1 pick, Popovich flew to France to meet with Victor Wembanyama, the prospective top selection, according to ESPN.
Popovich can use this market reset as a way to earn a pricier contract for himself. While Popovich isn't in the coaching profession for the money at this point in his career, his tenure deserves to be compensated properly. He likely won't command a deal for as long as Williams, but the average annual value on his contract should be a bar that Popovich's camp will want to set once negotiations begin.
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