Monty Williams Takes Over the Pistons, Sings a Six-Year $78.5 Million Deal

The Detroit Pistons and Monty Williams agreed to a six-year contract worth up to $78.5 million. Several NBA insiders reported this Wednesday night, the most notable being Adrian Wojnarowski. Per various sources, this is the biggest NBA deal in history for one head coach.

This is the first step in aggressive plans the franchise from Michigan has for this summer. After creating the foundation of a team, with Cade Cunningham as the leader and several other talented youngsters, the Pistons are taking a step to the next level.

Head coach Monty Williams is the first addition to the locker room and, for many, the most important. The 2022 NBA Coach of the Year recently split ways with the Phoenix Suns, with whom he had worked for the previous four seasons. During his stay in Arizona, the Suns have become one of the best teams in the NBA, reaching the NBA Finals in 2021, but unfortunately, not winning the ring.

Breaking: Monty Williams and the Detroit Pistons have agreed on a six-year, $78.5M deal to make him the franchise's new head coach, sources tell @wojespn.

It’s the largest coaching deal in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/nx6QyxGNZb

— ESPN (@espn) June 1, 2023

He transformed the Suns from one of the worst units in the league into a championship contender. Phoenix constantly encountered bad luck in the playoffs, with the top players picking up injuries, which was the case in this year’s postseason when Chris Paul missed almost the entire series against the Denver Nuggets.

Williams will replace Dwane Casey, the 2018 NBA Coach of the Year, who spent five years in Detroit, making the playoff appearance only in the first year of his stint in Michigan. However, Casey selected this group of youngsters forming a core that will be around in the future. The former Timberwolves, Raptors, and Pistons head coach moved to the Pistons’ front office, and he will receive a role there in the shortest possible time.

Detroit Pistons didn’t reach a .500-mark for seven straight years and are determined to make a U-turn during the next campaign. As stated, 2021 No.1 pick Cade Cunningham is the top player in this unit and a generational talent. He played only 12 games last year after undergoing shin surgery. However, that even came in handy because Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, two rookies from the 2022 draft, played well, having enough space to adjust to the professional requirements.

– 2022 NBA Coach of the Year
– 367 career wins as a head coach
– 194 wins in four seasons with the Suns
– NBA’s winningest coach since 2021
– 2021 NBA Finals appearance

Monty Williams is a Detroit Piston. Let’s get to work and win some basketball games 🔥 #Pistons

📸:… pic.twitter.com/g1BAhkS722

— Tony Dombrowski (@tonydombrowski) June 1, 2023

In the meantime, the Pistons traded for two very talented and young power forwards, Marvin Bagley and James Wiseman, who will have the strong center Isaiah Stewart next to them. Both Bagley and Wiseman had injury problems in the past, but Detroit’s gamble on them could pay off massively. The most experienced player on the team is the Croatian forward, Bojan Bogdanovic, who averaged 21.6 points last year, his career-high.

There is no doubt about the Pistons’ highly aggressive approach during this summer free agency. They hold the rights for the No.5 pick at the upcoming draft and, for the moment, have plenty of assets for making big trades.

With Williams coming to town, the Pistons will become a much more attractive place for most players, and the management knows that as well. Expect to hear more from Detroit Pistons once the free agency begins.