The Detroit Pistons were the talk of the NBA world when they signed coach Monty Williams to what could be the richest coaching contract in history.
It was a coup for owner Tom Gores, who reportedly flew Williams to his home in a private jet to woo him in the living room of his LA mansion.
This hire is a signal that the Pistons are ready to stand behind their promise to be competitive soon, as you don’t hire a coach of his stature and give him that kind of bag unless you think you’re ready to start winning.
Williams hire could have an effect on everything from the NBA Draft to free agency, as he will have some input on who the Pistons choose, and is the type of coach that can draw in free agents.
Some believe that hiring Williams makes it more likely that the Pistons trade the 5th pick for an established player who is ready to contribute right away, but that isn’t necessarily the case if you look at his recent history.
Detroit Pistons: Does Monty Williams make a draft trade more likely?
The Detroit Pistons could help speed up the rebuilding process by trading their 5th pick in a package for a proven player. The problem is that there may not be one available who is worth the 5th pick, and it may not be enough to get a true star given their lack of additional assets.
Williams will obviously have some say in the matter, though the final decision will be Troy Weaver’s, who will have to balance the present against the future.
Monty Williams took over a Suns’ team that was just off a 19-win season and got them all the way up to 34 wins in his first season as head coach without any major additions. The Suns did trade their 6th pick in the draft just before, but only to move back and select Cameron Johnson with the 11th pick.
It wasn’t until the following season that the Suns added veterans Chris Paul, Torrey Craig and Jae Crowder before making the NBA Finals.
The Pistons could be on a similar timeline with Williams, grabbing one more high draft pick after a 17-win season and hoping to jump up to around 30-34 wins to compete for the play-in tournament in his first season as head coach.
That type of improvement would be enough to satisfy most fans in Detroit, especially if it led to some big acquisitions and a leap into contention the following year.
Adding Monty Williams does not make it any more or less likely that the Detroit Pistons trade the 5th pick, as they were going to explore their options before and still will. But that Suns’ timeline actually fits Detroit perfectly, so adding another high draft pick before filling out the roster with veteran contributors and then potential stars does make sense.