Report: Williams 'blindsided' by Pistons firing
Monty Williams apparently didn't see it coming.
Williams was "blindsided" by his dismissal Wednesday by the Detroit Pistons, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday's "SportsCenter."
Pistons owner Tom Gores made the decision to fire the veteran bench boss, Wojnarowski adds. Detroit signed Williams to a record-setting six-year, $78.5-million contract in 2023 to take the job, and he leaves with over $65 million remaining on his deal.
Although the former Coach of the Year winner wants to serve in the role again, Williams isn't ready to jump into another coaching situation, Wojnarowski reports.
The Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers are the only NBA teams with head coaching vacancies. The Lakers are reportedly interested in hiring ex-NBA veteran JJ Redick but haven't offered the ESPN color commentator a contract yet after meeting with him last weekend.
The Pistons finished a league-worst 14-68 in Williams' only season in Detroit, which included a 28-game losing streak in the campaign's first half. The club hired New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon as president of basketball operations in May and fired general manager Troy Weaver.
The Pistons hold the No. 5 pick in next week's draft and will have over $ 60 million to spend in free agency.