Monty Williams has been dismissed by the Detroit Pistons just one year into his record-setting six-year contract. The decision comes after a dismal season where the Pistons finished with the worst record in the NBA, posting a 14-68 record. This included tying the NBA record for most consecutive losses in a single season with 28, stretching from late October to the end of December.
According to ESPN sources, the decision to fire Williams was made at the ownership level by Tom Gores and vice-chairman Arn Tellem, rather than by the newly-hired president of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon. The dismissal will cost the Pistons $65 million.
Williams, who previously led the Phoenix Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993 and was named NBCA Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2022, faced a challenging first year with the Pistons. His tenure was marked by several unwanted records, including becoming the 13th team in NBA history to go winless for a calendar month in November 2023, and enduring the longest losing streak in a single season in NBA history.
The Pistons now find themselves in a precarious position, searching for a new head coach just a week before the NBA draft, where they hold the fifth pick. This search begins shortly after the hiring of Fred Vinson as their new assistant coach.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers are also on the hunt for new head coaches following the recent dismissals of Darvin Ham and J.B. Bickerstaff, respectively.
