Detroit

Pistons

LiAngelo Ball, the brother of Lonzo and LaMelo Ball, is no longer connected with the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons signed LiAngelo on an Exhibit 10 contract back on December 2, 2020. After failing to make a significant impact on the squad, the 6-foot-5 guard was waived by the Pistons on December 14.

While most fans remember Dennis Rodman for his highly-successful tenure playing alongside the great Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls, Rodman was actually part of Detroit's historic back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990.

It wasn't until 1993 that Rodman parted ways with the Pistons after seven memorable seasons with the franchise, including two Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-Defensive team appearances, one All-NBA team nod, and two All-Star team appearances.

In the summer of 1993, Detroit sent Rodman to the San Antonio Spurs along with Isaiah Morris, a future first-round pick, and a future second-round pick. In exchange, the Pistons got Sean Elliot, David Wood, and a future first-rounder.

A case can certainly be made for the Pistons being the worst team in the NBA right now. Detroit has been terrible for pretty much the entire season and will likely receive a high pick in the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery.

The only other teams that could be in contention for the unwanted title of being the worst team in the league would probably be the Houston Rockets and perhaps the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Rockets are engaged in a full rebuild while the Wolves have a pretty solid core and are just grossly underperforming.

As for the Pistons, though, beyond Jerami Grant and a handful of highly-promising youngsters, their roster certainly leaves a lot to be desired -- and they have their win-loss record to prove it.

The good news for the Pistons is that their team holds a lot of promise. The future is bright in Detroit, and it wouldn't be surprising if this team emerges as a threat in the East in the next couple of years.

One of Detroit's signings in the offseason came in the form of 6-foot-4 shooting guard Wayne Ellington. The 33-year-old free agent agreed to a one-year deal with the Pistons worth $2.6 million.

It remains to be seen if the Pistons intend to bring back Ellington next season. His current deal runs out at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, which means that if he so chooses, he could sign with any other team in the league.

Ellington has been a key cog for Detroit this season, averaging close to double-digit points over the course of the campaign. He's also knocking down close to three triples per game on a highly-efficient clip (above 40 percent), which makes him a valuable floor-stretcher for the squad.

However, Ellington is going to be 34 next season, and he does not exactly fall within the Pistons' timeline as they turn their attention to youth development. Then again, having a handful of tested veterans in the locker room is something that is also necessary for a young and inexperienced squad, and Ellington fits that bill.

Based on what we've seen from him this season, though, Ellington will likely require a pay bump once he negotiates a new deal in the summer. For what it's worth, he earned $8 million from the New York Knicks during the 2019-20 season. In the end, Ellington's future in Detroit will likely come down to the front office's ability to haggle a new deal with the former UNC standout. Otherwise, Ellington could be taking his talents elsewhere for next season.

The Detroit Pistons franchise is worth $1.45 billion as of February 2021, per Forbes.

The team is currently owned by Tom Gores, who first purchased the franchise back in 2011 for $325 million.

For the 2019-20 season, the Pistons reported revenues of $227 million and an operating income of $45 million.

The Pistons recently struck a partnership deal with hip-hop icon Big Sean, who now serves as the team's Creative Director. This move is geared towards the team's attempt to improve its brand image and reach out to the younger generations, similar to how the Toronto Raptors brought in Drake as a global ambassador back in 2013.

The Pistons franchise is currently owned by Tom Gores, a 56-year-old American billionaire. He purchased the team in 2011 for an estimated amount of $325 million. Since then, the franchise has grown significantly in value as the Pistons have a net worth of $1.45 billion as of February 2021.

Gores was born in Nazareth, Israel, and is of Greek and Lebanese descent. He is the founder of Platinum Equity, an equity investment firm based out of Beverly Hills, California that focuses on leveraged buyout investments of established companies across the globe.

Gores' net worth is estimated to be at $4.1 billion as of 2019.

Dwane Casey currently serves as the head coach for the Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons hired Casey in 2018 following a lengthy spell with the Toronto Raptors. Incidentally, Casey was named as the league's Coach of the Year for the 2017-18 season after leading the Raptors to a 59-win season. Unfortunately for him, Toronto still fell to LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs (via a clean sweep), which resulted in the Raptors' front office deciding to fire Casey shortly after.

Casey is now in Year 3 with the Pistons, and it hasn't exactly been smooth-sailing for him since his arrival. Casey led Detroit to the playoffs in 2019, his first year as the squad's head coach, but they were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. This was followed by a forgettable 2019-20 season, wherein the Pistons won just 20 games. As it appears, the Pistons didn’t fare much better in 2020-21.

It remains to be seen if the Pistons' front office considers Casey to be the right man for the job to oversee the rebuilding process in Detroit long-term.

Aside from being an assistant coach, Tim Grguric also serves as the Director of Player Development. Former NBA point guard Sidney Lowe is also an assistant coach. Lowe has been in the coaching scene in the NBA since 1991, previously serving as a head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies. He's been an assistant for the Pistons since 2018.

Casey's other two assistant coaches are Sean Sweeney and Micah Nori.

The late, great Flip Saunders is undoubtedly one of the greatest head coaches in Pistons franchise history. Spending three years at the helm for the team, Saunders amassed the second-most wins in franchise history with 176.

While he is more well known for his 11-year tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves, there is no denying that Saunders also had a significant impact in Pistons history. During his time in Detroit, Saunders led the team to three consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances. During the 2005-06 season, Saunders coached the Pistons to a franchise-record 64-win season, one win better than Detroit's historic 1988-89 championship-winning campaign.

On October 25, 2015, Saunders passed away at the age of 60 due to complications brought about by Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Another all-time great in Pistons coaching history is Larry Brown. After spending six seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers coaching the one and only Allen Iverson, Brown made his way to Detroit in the summer of 2003. In his first season with the franchise, Brown led the Pistons to their first championship in 14 years, upsetting the heavily-favored Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. Brown spent just two seasons with the Pistons, but his tenure was undeniably memorable.

Brown was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a head coach in 2002 -- even before joining the Pistons -- which was mainly because of his legendary coaching career in the ABA.

Finally, we have the great Chuck Daly, who is widely considered by most (if not all) as the greatest head coach in Detroit Pistons history. Daly was in charge during the "Bad Boys" era as the Pistons terrorized the league during the 1980s. With Daly at the helm, the Pistons won back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990, with the likes of Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman leading the way for the squad.

Daly, who spent nine seasons as the Pistons head coach, holds the all-time franchise record for the most wins by a head coach with 467 regular-season victories. He lost just 271 games, giving him a very impressive .633 winning percentage.

Daly passed away on May 9, 2009 at the age of 78, just two months after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach in 1994.

Bob Lanier plied his trade for the Pistons during the 1970s, which was not the best era for Detroit. Nevertheless, the 6-foot-11 center dominated the NBA as one of the top big men in the league. In 10 seasons with the Pistons, Lanier made eight All-Star games and was even named as the All-Star Game MVP in 1974. Averaging 22.7 points per game throughout his spell with the team, Lanier holds the all-time franchise record for points per game.

The most influential figure for the Pistons during the early 2000s was Ben Wallace. What the undersized big man lacked in height -- he was just 6-foot-9 -- he more than made up for in grit and tenacity. Big Ben, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, was front and center during Detroit's memorable title run in 2004. Wallace is the Pistons' all-time leader in blocks, he ranks second in steals, and he is fourth in total rebounds.

Much like Lanier, Dave Bing also played for the Pistons during an era wherein, simply put, the team wasn't very good. Still, Bing is highly regarded as one of the greatest point guards in franchise history. He represented Detroit for nine seasons between 1966 and 1975, during which he was named an All-Star six times. Bing also won Rookie of the Year honors in his debut campaign and he led the league in scoring as a sophomore. The 6-foot-3 guard currently ranks fourth all-time for the Pistons in points and third in assists.

One of the key cogs in Detroit's historic back-to-back title wins in 1989 and 1990 was none other than Joe Dumars. He was named as the Finals MVP in 1989 in what was the Pistons' first-ever championship. A six-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, and five-time All-Defensive, Dumars was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. He leads the Pistons franchise record books for games played, and three-pointers made. He ranks second in points and assists, and third in steals.

There is no greater Piston than Isiah Thomas. He pretty much embodied the no-nonsense attitude of Detroit during the 1980s to early 1990s. Selected by the Pistons as their second overall pick in 1981, Thomas went on to make the All-Star team every year of his career outside of his final one. He was the Finals MVP in 1990, leading Detroit to back-to-back championships. Thomas is the proud owner of several franchise records, including minutes played, field goals made, free throws, assists, steals, and points.

More than a few personalities have left a lasting mark on the Detroit Pistons franchise throughout their rich history. During the early years, Dave Bing and Bob Lanier were a couple of players that helped build the foundation of what the organization is today. The 1980s produced a number of legends in Pistons history, with the likes of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, and Vinnie Johnson all playing key roles for Detroit's unprecedented back-to-back title run in 1989 and 1990. Fast forward 14 years later and the Pistons won another championship led by legends such as Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, and Richard Hamilton.

Chuck Daly is widely regarded as the greatest coach in Pistons franchise history, and while he never suited up for Detroit, there's no denying that he too garnered legendary status for all that he contributed to the organization.