The Detroit Pistons made a surprising decision recently to fire Monty Williams.
Williams was brought in to turn this team around, hopefully bringing them out of the muck and helping them compete at a high level.
However, after the team was, once again, one of the worst in the league last year, the Pistons decided that one season was enough.
Firing Williams was a headline by itself, but after seeing the financial implications of firing him, fans and analysts have taken a second look.
As Joe Pompliano pointed out on Twitter, Williams initially signed a six-year, $78.5 million deal.
Seeing that he only completed one year of the deal as the Pistons’ head coach, the team now owes him a whopping $65 million.
The Monty Williams timeline…
May 2023: Fired by the Phoenix Suns, securing a $20 million-plus buyout.
June 2023: Hired by the Detroit Pistons, securing a 6-year, $78.5 million deal — the largest coaching contract in NBA history at the time.
June 2024: Fired by the Detroit… pic.twitter.com/3prkKnyoGD
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 19, 2024
This is a devastating blow to the Pistons, as they now have a massive amount of money tied up in a coach who isn’t with the organization anymore.
With this in mind, this could severely impact the team’s chances of adding any marquee free agents in the offseason, players they desperately need if they want to get back on the right track.
They do have the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which could certainly help add to their roster.
However, since they are likely more than just one player away from a comeback, the draft can only help them so much.
It will be interesting to see what the Pistons end up doing throughout the rest of the offseason, and what pieces they will add.
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