8:57pm: The Pistons officially announced (via Twitter) that they’re planning to make front office changes and will hire a new head of basketball operations, who would work directly under team owner Tom Gores. Weaver and the current basketball operations executives will remain in their current positions while the search takes place, per the team.
3:05pm: The Pistons have decided they will hire a president of basketball operations, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the search process will begin this week.
Local reporters, including James L. Edwards III of The Athletic and Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press, had been suggesting this would happen. Prior to Charania’s report, Sankofa tweeted that the Pistons were expected to “formalize” their search for a president of basketball operations within the next day or so.
As Sankofa and Edwards have written, it doesn’t sound as if general manager Troy Weaver would be dismissed as a result of this change to the front office. However, it would certainly be a demotion for Weaver, who has functioned as the team’s head of basketball operations since being hired in 2020. Under the new structure, he would report to Detroit’s new president of basketball operations.
According to Sankofa (subscription required), the Pistons would likely want to fortify the front office with other executives who are either below Weaver in the hierarchy or on the same level. If Weaver and the Pistons aren’t on the same page with ownership’s plan to revamp its front office, it’s possible the two sides could go their separate ways, but it doesn’t appear that’s the plan for now.
It has been a dismal four years in Detroit since Weaver was hired away from the Thunder to replace Ed Stefanski atop the Pistons’ basketball operations department. The club hasn’t won more than 23 games in a season during that time, compiling an overall record of 74-244 (.233).
There was some hope entering the 2023/24 season that the team’s young core – including Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Ausar Thompson, and Jaden Ivey – might be ready to take a step forward and get the Pistons into the play-in mix. Instead, the team finished dead last in the NBA with a 14-68 mark, setting a new league record for most consecutive losses in a single season (28).
While there have been no concrete reports yet on which candidates might receive consideration for the president of basketball operations position in Detroit, Edwards listed some ideas in his latest article for The Athletic, identifying Jon Horst (Bucks), John Hammond (Magic), Neil Olshey (formerly of the Trail Blazers), Bryson Graham (Pelicans), and Dwane Casey as possible fits.
Marc Stein (Twitter link) confirms that there’s a belief the Pistons will have interest in exploring the viability of hiring Horst away from Milwaukee.
This should be a story about how Troy Weaver has been fired.
Dwane Casey? Is Gores turning into Reinsdorf? Why not just bring back Dumars and Stan Van Gundy?
Isiah Thomas reunion.
Time for Dickie V to come back home?
Overpay Bob Myers
The DET fanbase should be relieved. For their purposes, I read this as Weaver has been fired. Weaver, the man, will still employed. But Weaver, the FO chief, is gone or will be when this new position is filled. Not an uncommon way to get rid of management under long term contracts. Just hire over them.
Any president of basketball operations will want to pick their own GM and possibly their own coach. If they try to force Weaver on someone you are likely not getting plan A more like plan G considering it’s the Pistons too.
In 2019 Dennis Lindsey was promoted to EVP of the Jazz and Justin Zanik to GM. When Lindsey stepped down Ainge was hired as CEO of basketball operations. Zanik is still GM. When the 76ers hired Morey to be President of Basketball Operations Elton Brand was GM, he’s still holds that position today. For some reason I doubt Ainge and Morey were plan G.
You’re really comparing Ainge and Morey to someone like Weaver? Apples to oranges.
No, he compares Zanik and Brand to Weaver. The new guy in Detroit would be Ainge/Morey.
Jon Horst the local guy would be a pipe dream. He got his start as an intern under Joe Dumars with the Pistons and followed John Hammond to Milwaukee when he became the Bucks GM. Money talks as Monty Williams put it so you can’t rule it out. I just hope whoever comes in actually turns things around. This has been embarrassing to watch the last 4 years. It’s worse than watching the Matt Millan era of Lions football.
A better idea would be for Gores to sell the team and leave completely as he’s clueless as an owner.
I guess I’ll take the job, have their people call mine.
Gores reeks of Mark from Cuba vibes…
Just another meddling owner with no clue…
They put layers of people under them to blame, but ultimately the owner has to shoulder the blame…
Except somehow less likeable than cuban
Cuban tries to stick his hands into decisions because he really wants to win and thinks he knows how to do it. He’s wrong, but at least he seems to care. Gores has no idea what he’s doing at any point in time. He’s hands-off on everything he should be involved in and hands-on for everything he should leave to literally anyone else.
I have this weird memory of Mark Cuban celebrating a Mavs championship…
Gores will never be a Mark Cuban!
Me