Tom Gores Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Owner Still Mulling Van Gundy’s Status

April 9th, 2018 at 9:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons owner Tom Gores is still undecided whether he’ll retain coach and team president Stan Van Gundy for the final year of his contract, Rod Beard of the Detroit News reports.

Gores met with the media during the team’s home finale on Monday night. The team has failed to make the playoffs in three of four seasons with Van Gundy running the show. Gores reiterated he would make the final decision after a postseason meeting with Van Gundy.

“We’re going to meet next week and discuss what’s going on. At the same time, he’s dedicated the last four years and Stan and I are partners,” Gores told Beard and other media members. “There’s no way I would make a decision without talking to Stan and he’s been really busy with the season. That’s a decision Stan and I make.”

Gores vowed to make some changes, even if Van Gundy is retained. But Gores still likes the idea of having a coach with personnel power.

“We’re not winning. It’s just that simple,” he said. “Whatever mistakes we’ve made or why we haven’t won, we have to evaluate that. I see value in the front office and the coach being connected.”

Central Notes: Bullock, Griffin, Van Gundy, Cavs

March 11th, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by clarkcrum

Pistons‘ starting swingman Reggie Bullock suffered minor injuries after being involved in a two-car motor vehicle accident this morning on his way to practice, reports Rod Beard of The Detroit News. He wasn’t seriously injured but was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Bullock, who was on his way to the Pistons’ practice facility in Auburn Hills, was also apparently the victim of a hit-and-run, as head coach Stan Van Gundy tells Beard that “the other driver took off” after the collision. Bullock did not practice, but will travel with the team on their upcoming six-game road trip.

Bullock, 26, has had somewhat of a breakthrough season for the underachieving Pistons, averaging 10.7 points per game and shooting 43% from long range in 41 starts.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Kevin Pelton of ESPN worries that the Pistons‘ newly-acquired Blake Griffin may be the league’s new version of Carmelo Anthony – a player paid like a superstar but not producing at a level high enough to build a consistently successful team around. And as Pelton points out, paying a player who is not quite a superstar like one of the league’s best players makes it difficult to win because it takes away the financial flexibility necessary to build a team around the overpaid player.
In more Pistons‘ news, team owner Tom Gores ambiguously hinted that Van Gundy make not be back next season, reports Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News. Speaking at halftime of Detroit’s win over Chicago on Friday, Gores said, “Stan and I have not discussed (whether he will be the coach next season). I believe in Stan, but he’s a team player, so we’re gonna see. He’ll do exactly the right thing for this franchise. But right now he’s busy coaching this team. We’ll go from there.”
In a wide-ranging piece on the Cavaliers, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer discusses the rumored timetable for the return of Kevin Love from injury, the importance of a starting role for newly-acquired swingman Rodney Hood, and more details on the trade that brought Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. from Los Angeles to Cleveland.

Central Notes: Oladipo, Pistons Rotation, Griffin

February 19th, 2018 at 5:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Victor Oladipo knew a breakout season was possible after speaking with Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard on the team’s private plane prior to his introductory press conference last summer, as Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated divulges in a feature story. Pritchard assured Oladipo that the club truly coveted his services, rather than just matching up salaries to facilitate the Paul George blockbuster with the Thunder. Indiana wanted to play faster this season. “This wasn’t a dump. We targeted you,” Pritchard told Oladipo, according to Jenkins. The All-Star shooting guard is averaging a career-high 24.4 PPG for the surprising Pacers. “It was the first time in my career I felt like a team really believed in me,” Oladipo told Jenkins. “I was just thinking, Don’t mess this up.”

In other nuggets involving the Central Division:

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy will likely go with a 10-man rotation once Reggie Jackson returns from his Grade 3 ankle sprain, according to Ansar Khan of MLive.com. Jackson would join a starting unit of Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, Stanley Johnson and Reggie Bullock. Ish Smith would return to his usual role as leader of the second unit with center Eric Moreland and forwards Anthony Tolliver and James Ennis getting steady minutes, Khan speculates. Luke Kennard and Langston Galloway would split time as the backup shooting guard, Khan adds.
Pistons owner Tom Gores invited Griffin and his business partners over to his California home immediately after the blockbuster deal with the Clippers, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details. Gores wanted to assure Griffin how badly the Pistons wanted him and address any concerns the five-time All-Star power forward might have, Langlois continues. The Pistons are 5-3 since Griffin joined their lineup. “We were very quickly on the same page with the same view of what we want to achieve and the approach to get there,” Gores told Langlois. “He’s definitely hit the ground running. It’s been great to see how his teammates, the whole organization and the fans have embraced him.”

Latest On The Pistons, Drummond, Caldwell-Pope

February 22nd, 2017 at 8:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pistons are “welcoming offers” for Andre Drummond and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, according to Mark Stein of ESPN.com. It’s likely that Drummond stays with the franchise, as he’s beloved by owner Tom Gores, but the softened stance on the big man opens up the door on a potential trade.

The Blazers had discussions with the Pistons about bringing Drummond to Portland, but those talks ended when Detriot insisted on receiving C.J. McCollum in return, sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. Stein notes that the Blazers view McCollum as untouchable.

Stein adds that the Raptors and Pistons have had exploratory conversations on Drummond. Detroit has also engaged in conversations with the Nets. Before DeMarcus Cousins was traded to the Pelicans, the Pistons discussed a deal with the Kings centered around a Cousins-Drummond swap.

Drummond signed a max contract with the team over the summer. Caldwell-Pope will be a restricted after the season and the team is reportedly wary about having to give the shooting guard a sizable deal. Stein notes that the team is looking for at least one first-rounder in exchange for KCP.

If the Pistons hold onto Caldwell-Pope and re-sign him to a max deal in the offseason, they would be near the luxury tax line. That’s not an attractive position to be in for a team that sits below .500. However, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy tells Vince Ellis of the Detriot Free Press that ownership has not issued any mandate to shed salary this season.

Eastern Notes: Vucevic, Mirotic, Canaan, Pistons

November 27th, 2016 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Magic coach Frank Vogel shook up the starting lineup tonight with D.J. Augustin, Bismack Biyombo and Aaron Gordon replacing Elfrid Payton, Nikola Vucevic and Jeff Green, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. The change was prompted by a three-game losing streak, but not much improved with an eight-point loss to the Bucks.

Vucevic promised to keep a professional attitude about the move, but he clearly isn’t endorsing it. “I spoke to Frank about it last night, and obviously I wasn’t happy with the decision they made,” the sixth-year center said to Zach Oliver of OPP Magic Blog. “I didn’t think there was a reason for me to go to the bench, but it’s coach’s decision. All I can do is control what I can control, which is when I’m on the court play to the best of my ability and help the team win. Stay professional and whatever is going on, I’ll keep giving my best and give them my full effort.”

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic hopes to stay in the NBA rather than return to Europe after his contract expires at the end of this season, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The former Real Madrid star is wrapping up a three-year, $16.6MM deal. He calls Chicago “a great city” and says he wants to continue to take on the challenges that the NBA presents. “I think [the NBA] is the best place I can grow as a player,” Mirotic said. “I was very comfortable in Madrid. … That was a perfect place to stay and be in a comfort zone, to sign another five years. But that’s not who I am. I like the challenges. … And I came here to prove that I’m ready.”
A season and a half in Philadelphia has helped Bulls guard Isaiah Canaan appreciate the chance to be on a winning team, writes Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. Canaan signed with Chicago over the summer after the Sixers declined to submit a qualifying offer. “I say it was a blessing for the opportunity, just to prove I can help a team out and show what I can bring,” Canaan said. “It was a humbling experience for me just to have to go through something like that and learn not to take anything for granted.”
A June meeting at a Tigers game between Pistons owner Tom Gores and the Ilitch family, which owns the Red Wings, led to the Pistons’ move downtown next season, relays Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.

Pistons Notes: Jackson, Leuer, Trades, Palace

November 23rd, 2016 at 8:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons could have point guard Reggie Jackson back on the floor by early December, reports Aaron McMann of MLive. Jackson hasn’t played since receiving plasma injection therapy to treat tendinitis on his left knee October 10th. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said Jackson could be cleared for five-on-five drills by Monday and may return after the Pistons wrap up a four-game road trip on December 2nd. “He is starting to do some stuff,” Van Gundy said. “He still hasn’t done any five-on-five. He did some three-on-three live today — a little bit of it full court. He looks good at the stuff that he’s doing, but he’s got to get more comfortable. Got to get his conditioning back.”

There’s more tonight out of Detroit:

Free agent addition Jon Leuer appears to be the stretch four that the Pistons have been wanting off the bench, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Detroit gave Leuer a four-year, $41MM deal to lure him from the Suns and created an opening by not re-signing Anthony Tolliver. Leuer has taken advantage of the opportunity, averaging 10.3 points and 6.9 rebounds through 15 games, all off the bench. “You get that stretch [forward] label and people think you’re just a spot-up shooter,” Leuer said. “There’s a lot more to my game than that.”
The Pistons will be less likely to make a major deal at this year’s deadline than they have been the past two seasons, according to Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Detroit picked up Tobias Harris in February and Jackson at the 2015 deadline, but Langlois says the team has at least one and possibly two players it likes at every position, lessening the possibility of a shakeup.
There are no set plans for the Palace of Auburn Hills once the Pistons move to downtown Detroit next season, McMann writes in a separate story. The building could be endangered as it would have trouble turning a profit without revenue from the Pistons and it is in an area considered desirable for technology and research development companies. “We have a lot of different plans and possibilities,” said team owner Tom Gores. “We’ve even discussed it, [Red Wings owner] Chris [Ilitch] and I. We don’t have any definitive plans.”

Pistons Notes: New Arena Details, All-Star Game Chances

November 22nd, 2016 at 5:31pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pistons‘ new arena deal will involve asking for up to $34.5MM in taxpayer-backed bonds, Louis Aguilar and Ian Thibodeau of The Detroit News report in a piece that includes the team’s 45 page agreement with the City Of Detroit. The franchise has also agreed to back up to $55MM in bonds as long as a “community center/practice facility” is built as well. The site of the proposed facility isn’t determined yet. According to an analysis conducted by the University of Michigan, the economic impact of the move is $596.2MM. That figure includes renovations to the new arena, the building of the practice facility and the cost of relocation for Pistons’ employees.

The Pistons have played at The Palace, which will remain open for concerts, since 1988. With the move, Detroit will have all four major sports playing within blocks of each other in its downtown.

Here’s more from Detroit

Owner Tom Gores hired sports agent/power broker Arn Tellem back in 2015 to start coordinating the effort to move the Pistons back downtown, Tony Paul of The Detroit News writes. Tellem is excited to be part of the movement. “We want to be all in on Detroit,” Tellem said. “We want to do right by the city and community here.” Tellem added that he believes as many as 2,000 jobs could be created by the move.
Commissioner Adam Silver said the team’s move to downtown has increased the city’s chances of getting an All-Star Game in the not-so distant future, Paul relays in the same piece. The Palace at Auburn Hills never hosted an All-Star Game.
The Pistons will also move their corporate office to downtown, Paul reports in the same piece.
Not all fans are thrilled about the relocation, Paul and James Hawkins of The Detroit News write in a collaborative piece. Proponents of the move cite the additional pregame and postgame opportunities, while those opposed to it say the traffic is going to be a major problem.

Central Notes: Bucks, Pistons, Rondo, Wade

November 8th, 2016 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

While players from many teams around the NBA will be watching today’s U.S. election results closely, the voting results could have an even more significant impact on the Bucks. According to Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times, many league observers believe that one of the Bucks’ three majority owners, Marc Lasry, may give up some or all of his duties with the franchise to take on a government position if Hillary Clinton wins. Lasry is a Democrat and a strong supporter of Clinton. Of course, the results aren’t in yet, and the possibility of Lasry’s departure appears to be informed speculation at this point, but it’s worth keeping an eye on if Clinton becomes the next president.

Here’s more from around the NBA’s Central division:

Pistons owner Tom Gores reiterated on Monday that his team is “making progress” on negotiations to team up with the NHL’s Red Wings and move his franchise to downtown Detroit. “In the next few weeks, we’ll know for sure,” Gores said, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details, Gores has also been pleased with the way the Pistons have been able to better the community during the five years he has owned the team, suggesting that the franchise’s ability to have a local impact has exceeded his expectations. “Our ability to impact the community has been more than I ever thought in my life,” Gores said. “As much as I would like to win a championship, the real championship is to affect the city and impact the city. It’s beyond anything I could have expected, to be honest.”
Rajon Rondo‘s “occasional surliness may have irritated superiors” in the past, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe writes, but the veteran point guard has meshed well in Chicago with Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg and former adversary Dwyane Wade so far, per Washburn. “We had battles, but I had battles with a lot of guys,” Wade said of Rondo. “When the opportunity presents itself, you always want to play with people that you respect, people that you feel are competitors and you know what they’re going to bring on a nightly basis. Rondo signing here was another eye-opener for me.”

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Smith, Ellington

August 7th, 2016 at 11:31am CST by ChrisCrouse

Owner Tom Gores has no problem paying the luxury tax should the Pistons need to cross the apron to keep their young core together, as he tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

“Look, if we weren’t building a core, there’s really no point in paying the luxury tax,” Gores said. “Because we are building a core, would I do it? Yeah, absolutely. This is a tremendous team. If you go down the line, player by player, and especially our young folks, these are real players…So you say go into the luxury tax for nothing, then that would be silly because then we’re putting the franchise behind. But given that we have such a good core, if that’s what it took, and we feel we’ve made such progress this year, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it because we want to keep getting better.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Gores believes executive/coach Stan Van Gundy has done an excellent job for the Pistons‘ front office because of his communication skills, as he tells Ellis in the same piece. “I’ve seen him be a president and a coach, but also a leader and an executive that really understands how to run a business. He’s running the business of basketball,” Gores said. “I’ve heard people say is he better GM than he was a coach.”
The Celtics could have made an offer to J.R. Smith this offseason, but that door closed when the team used most of its remaining cap space to re-sign Tyler Zeller, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes.
Wayne Ellington could end up being more of a 3-point specialist than he expected when he signed with the Heat this offseason, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel speculates. Winderman believes earmarking minutes for Josh Richardson on the wing will be a priority for the franchise due to his upside. That, along with the signing of Dion Waiters, may leave Ellington on the bench for the majority of games.

Central Notes: Pacers, Maker, Drummond, Pistons

July 17th, 2016 at 6:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers seem ready to re-emerge as an elite team in the Eastern Conference, claims Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Indiana made several key additions this summer, swapping George Hill for Jeff Teague in a three-team deal, trading the 20th pick in the draft to Brooklyn for Thaddeus Young and signing free agent center Al Jefferson. The Pacers also have the security of a healthy Paul George, who showed during the season that he was fully recovered from a broken leg in 2014. In addition, Hamilton notes, Indiana has the flexibility for another major move or two this summer. The franchise is about $12MM under the cap and may have a $2.8MM room exception available. Looking ahead, the Pacers could have up to $50MM in cap room next summer if Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Miles opt out.

There’s more from around the Central Division:

The Bucks‘ Thon Maker grabbed attention in the Las Vegas Summer League with Kevin Garnett-like size and Giannis Antetokounmpo-level speed, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. Many observers were surprised when the Bucks drafted Maker 10th overall, but his athleticism may make that gamble pay off. “We thought he wasn’t afraid and had a little toughness to him,” said GM John Hammond. “That was the key to the draft pick — that we enjoyed him so much as a person and had toughness and wasn’t afraid. You don’t know what is going to go from there.”
The Pistons are reaping the benefits of Andre Drummond‘s decision to put off his extension until this summer, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Because Drummond waited on his big-money deal, Detroit had the cap room to trade for Tobias Harris during the season and then sign free agents Jon Leuer, Ish Smith and Boban Marjanovic. “We either wouldn’t have been able to do Tobias during the year, or if we had done Tobias, we wouldn’t have been able to add the people we added this summer,” said coach/executive Stan Van Gundy. “It goes to Andre’s character, his true commitment to the Detroit Pistons beyond just getting the contract and [owner Tom Gores’] commitment and his relationship with Andre.”
Marjanovic’s three-year, $21MM contract will pay him $7MM each season, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Smith will receive $6MM each year for three seasons (Twitter link), and Leuer’s four-year, $42MM deal starts at $11MM the first season and decreases (Twitter link). He also has $1MM in unlikely incentives.