Detroit Pistons: Dwane Casey will likely decide his own future with team

One of the biggest questions lingering over the 2022-23 season for the Detroit Pistons is whether head coach Dwane Casey will be back.

Casey is mired in his fourth-straight losing season and there are definitely some fans who are ready to see the back of him even though the team really hasn’t been trying to win in that time.

But as the Pistons pivot towards being competitive (hopefully next season) we could see a massive overhaul of the roster that also includes the coaching staff.

Casey’s supporters point to the youth, injuries and organizational goals of this season to rightfully point out that this isn’t all his fault.

His detractors look at the lack of improvement, the failure to develop Saddiq Bey or Killian Hayes and the fact that the Pistons are last or nearly last in just about every significant statistical category.

Both groups have points, but in the end, the choice of whether to stay or go will likely be made by Dwane Casey himself.

Detroit Pistons: Dwane Casey to the front office?

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Dwane Casey is one of several coaches who are likely on the hot seat as the season comes to an end.

But we also know that Casey has a very solid relationship with both GM Troy Weaver as well as owner Tom Gores, so they could choose to allow Casey to go out on his own terms.

According to Fischer:

"“One source with knowledge of the situation insisted Casey will have the choice of remaining on the bench or stepping into a different role within the team’s basketball operations.”"

So we may not have seen the last of Dwane Casey just yet. It has long been speculated that Casey might move to a front office position at some point, as he is well-respected around the league and would undoubtedly benefit a franchise in some capacity as an advisor or something else.

But this is the first I’ve heard about Casey potentially having the choice to stay on as coach, which is obviously not going to sit well with those who think the Detroit Pistons should make a clean break and go in a different direction next season.

Casey and Gores will meet again after the finale in Chicago, so we will likely know soon whether he’ll be back or if the Detroit Pistons will be one of the teams looking for a new voice in the huddle this offseason.