As ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports, not everyone is on board with the Detroit Pistons' decision to fire Monty Williams after one season as head coach.
NBA fans reacted Wednesday to the decision to move Williams out of Detroit after the Pistons finished the 2023-24 season with an NBA-worst 14-68 record.
The Pistons signed Williams to a record six-year, $78.5 million contract last May.
The search for a new head coach will now be led by president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, who also parted ways with general manager Troy Weaver after being announced as the Pistons' new hire on June 1.
The Pistons hired Williams two years after he was named the NBA's Coach of the Year after leading the Phoenix Suns to a franchise-record 64 wins in the 2020-21 season.
Detroit's leadership had previously expressed confidence that Williams would be the franchise's next long-term head coach, and had included an option to extend his record contract for an eighth season.
However, Wojnarowski reported that the decision to fire Williams was made by Pistons owner Tom Gores, not Langdon.
Williams took over a team that had gone 17-65 the previous season, and the Pistons were in the early stages of a rebuild when the former Suns coach arrived in Detroit.
Some fans pointed out that the Pistons' roster depth has been significantly reduced due to injuries to key players such as Cade Cunningham and Orcer Thompson.
Other fans expressed concern that Williams' firing would send the Pistons back to Phase 1 of a rebuild.
Many fans were questioning the timing of the decision, which came just one week before the 2024 NBA Draft.
Wojnarowski said Williams had more than $65 million remaining on his contract with the Pistons, but the Suns had yet to pay his previous buyout money.
Wojnarowski said Williams, who was scheduled to sit out the 2023-24 season due to his wife's cancer diagnosis, could decide to walk away from the NBA. Alternatively, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers still have head coaching vacancies and Williams could be considered if he is looking for another job.
