Detroit Pistons sign Monty Williams to six-year, 72-million deal, per report

Monty Williams and the Detroit Pistons have agreed in principle on a six-year, $72 million deal for Williams to become the team’s new head coach, Shams Charania and James Williams III reported on Wednesday evening. The deal is expected to be finalized in the coming days, per the report. Williams was shockingly fired by the Phoenix Suns on May 13, 2023. UPDATE: ESPN has since provided a conflicting report stating the contract is worth $78.5 million–which would be the largest deal in NBA history. That information has been relayed by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Job security for NBA coaches has just been absolutely non-existent the past few years. Williams was named the NBCA Coach of the Year in 2021, after he guided the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993 in the 2021 NBA Finals. The Suns eventually lost in six games to the Milwaukee Bucks in that series.

Williams has coached in a variety of roles across the NBA over the years– he’s been the head coach for the Suns, an assistant for the Philadelphia 76ers, an associate head coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans, and an assistant for the Portland Trail Blazers.

In the 2020-2021 NBA season, Williams led the Suns to a 51-21 regular season record, before guiding them to the NBA Finals. It was their first NBA Finals appearance in 28 years. He was the team’s 20th head coach in franchise history. Williams was also named the 2022 NBA Coach of the Year, after he led the Suns to a franchise record 64 win in the 2021-2022 campaign. During his four-year tenure with Phoenix, he compiled a 194-115 overall record there.

He also served as an assistant coach with USA Men’s Basketball in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. That team featured the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, DeMar DeRozan, and others on the same roster.

As a player, Williams played high school basketball at Potomac High School and played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. As a senior with the Fighting Irish, he was named an honorable mention All-American. Williams was selected by the New York Knicks with the No. 24 overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft. He played nine seasons with five different NBA teams in his playing career (Knicks, Spurs, Nuggets, Magic, and 76ers). His NBA playing career began in 1994 and ended in 2003.