After being fired by the Phoenix Suns following a second-round exit to the Denver Nuggets, Monty Williams did not find himself out of a job for long. The longtime NBA coach is headed to Detroit where he has landed the biggest contract in NBA history for a head coach, making north of $13 million per year — with the chance to make even more on incentives — to take the Pistons to the next level.
Monty Williams has agreed to a six-year, $78.5 million contract with the Detroit Pistons, sources tell ESPN. It’s the largest coaching deal in NBA history.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 1, 2023
Monty Williams’ Pistons deal could reach eight years and $100M based on team options and incentives, sources tell me and @JLEdwardsIII. https://t.co/jOoWKghm79
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 1, 2023
One would assume those incentives include some that are very hard to reach (like winning a championship), but even so it is a massive amount of money, topping Gregg Popovich’s deal in San Antonio. It’s clear the Pistons are willing to spend to land one of the top coaching candidates on the market despite being a team with ample questions coming into this offseason. Cade Cunningham’s return is the chief reason for excitement in Detroit, but after falling to the fifth pick in this year’s draft despite having the worst record in the league this past season, there are no guarantees they add a star to go alongside the former No. 1 pick.
With Williams coming on board, it certainly seems like Detroit will be active this summer on the trade and free agent market to upgrade their roster, as this is not the coaching hire you make if you’re trying to continue slowly building through young players.