NBA Rumors: Pistons Open to Firing Monty Williams, Eating $60M Remaining on Contract

The Detroit Pistons are reportedly "finalizing a deal" to hire New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon to be the team's president of basketball operations, per James L. Edwards III and Shams Charania of The Athletic, a role that would allow him to make a decision on the future of head coach Monty Williams and general manager Troy Weaver.

According to that report, "Detroit's head coach has about $60 million remaining on his contract, and sources tell The Athletic that [team governor Tom Gores] will eat the rest of the money if the new president of basketball operations decides he wants to bring in someone else to walk the sideline."

Williams, 52, did not have a banner first year in Detroit, as the Pistons went an NBA-worst 14-68. The Pistons have an intriguing young core in Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart, but Detroit didn't exactly surround them with a steady veteran cast.

Nobody expected the young Pistons to be a playoff team. But a second straight season with a regression in the wins column was hardly a desirable result. Detroit expected to take a step in the right direction; that simply didn't happen in Williams' first season at the helm.

Deciding where exactly that blame lies will be one of Langdon's first tasks.

Walking back on the Williams hiring after just one season wouldn't be an easy call to make. The Pistons signed him last season to an eight-year deal (with the final two seasons being club options) worth potentially more than $100 million, depending on what incentives are met.

Even back in April, Edwards was reporting that "it appears as of now that he will be back next season, assuming he demonstrates that he can deliver significantly more progress in the development of its team and players."

Some of Williams' decisions this season were surprising, such as not only starting the incredibly inefficient Killian Hayes over second-year guard Jaden Ivey early in the season, but giving him more minutes overall. The Pistons ultimately cut Hayes on Feb. 8.

He also seemed slow to make adjustments, especially when the team was mired in a 28-game losing streak, setting a new NBA record in the process. The team didn't win more than two games in a row the entire season. It was rough.

This summer is a huge one, then, for Detroit. The team needs to figure out how to build a competitive team around players like Cunningham, Ivey and Thompson. A better supporting cast is crucial, not only for short-term improvement but also for the long-term development of the team's young prospects.

And deciding whether Weaver is the right man to make those adjustments—and if Williams is the right man to coach up the reworked roster—will be Langdon's first priority.