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Talks of possible Detroit Pistons move downtown reaches fever pitch

By Duncan Smith

Feb 4, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; A general exterior shot of The Palace of Auburn Hills before the game between the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; A general exterior shot of The Palace of Auburn Hills before the game between the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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The buzz about the Detroit Pistons potentially moving downtown has reached a fever pitch as Detroit’s Local 4 NBC affiliate reports a deal may be nearly done.

The Detroit Pistons have been in discussions with the Ilitch family, owners of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings, about moving back to downtown Detroit. The Ilitches also own Little Caesars Arena which is under construction in Detroit’s Midtown area at Woodward Avenue and I-75.

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This arena will be the home of the Detroit Red Wings next season after playing at Joe Louis Arena since 1979, and it appears that the Pistons are just a couple loose ends away from coming to an agreement with the Ilitches to make Little Caesars Arena their new home.

According to Detroit’s Local 4 NBC affiliate, there is actionable information to indicate all parties are prepared for the green light.

Per Jermont Terry and Derick Hutchinson of Local 4:

"The deal isn’t finalized, but Local 4 has learned there are just a few loose ends to tie up in the major deal. The construction company involved in the project was ordered to make changes to the blueprint, including the additional locker room space and some ground-floor seating to accommodate what could be the Detroit Pistons’ trek back down I-75."

Among the possible loose ends that remain to be dealt with:

  • Pistons’ owner Tom Gores owns the Palace of Auburn Hills, the Pistons’ current home. He bought the Pistons, the Palace and DTE Energy Music Theatre, among other assets under the control of Palace Sports and Entertainment. He purchased the whole of these assets for $325 million in 2011. If the Pistons move, the newly renovated Palace would be essentially vacant aside from concerts and other special events. Oakland County rejected an offer in June to buy the Palace for $384 million, meaning Gores is currently without a suitor to purchase the arena. We all love the Palace, but there’s no hiding the fact that it is essentially in the middle of nowhere and will struggle to be utilized properly without the draw of the Pistons.
  • The Pistons are intent on having a practice facility in the near vicinity of Little Caesars Arena if this move takes place. Their plans are to construct a 60,000 square-foot facility north of the arena’s site. According to Crains Detroit, specifics such as cost, timeframe and location are all currently up in the air.
  • There is a tight timeline to get a deal done considering the fact that the arena is in its final year of construction. It’s much cheaper to build the arena with the purpose of featuring both NBA basketball and NHL hockey than it is to build an NHL arena and retrofit it for the Pistons’ purposes. If a deal cannot be reached in the very near future, the Pistons may walk away from the table and talks may be taken off the table permanently.
  • The NBA’s board of governors would have to approve any such move, but assuming all discussions are done in good faith it’s likely the NBA would prefer to have the Pistons in the heart of Detroit than out in suburban Auburn Hills.

While both sides have indicated that nothing is impending, the undeniable urgency of the construction timeline and the recent orders to modify construction are indicators that talks are advancing quickly.

Related Story: Detroit Pistons are in talks to move downtown

Stay tuned and we’ll keep you up to date on all developments on this topic.

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