Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon. (Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports)
The Detroit Pistons are looking for a new coach to shepherd their rebuild. Who are the best options on the market?
The Detroit Pistons are looking for a new head coach to lead their rebuild following Dwane Casey’s move to the front office. It is perhaps the most unique coaching search in the NBA right now. With the major names focused on more high-profile gigs in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Phoenix, the Pistons have invested time in more idiosyncratic and unexpected candidates.
So far, three primary candidates have emerged for Detroit, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic: Kevin Ollie of the Overtime Elite league, Charles Lee of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jarron Collins of the New Orleans Pelicans. The latter two are highly-touted NBA assistants. Ollie spent six years as the head coach at UConn and now coaches at Overtime Elite, a high school-age professional league in Atlanta.
It’s a fascinating trio. The Pistons could also expand their search in the weeks to come, as plenty of appealing candidates still populate the market. If ownership doesn’t find itself enamored with one of the current frontrunners, don’t be surprised if more names emerge. Here are three realistic candidates who make the most sense for Detroit.
Best head coach options for Detroit Pistons to replace Dwane Casey
3. Becky Hammon
The Raptors reportedly interviewed Becky Hammon in the early stages of their coaching search. Hammon has been on the NBA head coaching radar for a while; she spent eight years as an assistant to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio before taking a head coaching job with the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA in 2022.
The Gregg Popovich coaching tree is expansive and prolific. He’s the best coach in modern NBA history, so it’s generally smart to look for new voices from the Spurs lineage. Hammon also won the WNBA championship in her first season with the Aces — a good indicator of her play-calling chops and locker room management skills.
The Pistons are looking to build the right habits with a young group. Hammon was part of the player development process in San Antonio. She’s also a former player — one of the best WNBA players of all time. It’s not unreasonable to peg her as a quality option to guide Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and the upcoming No. 5 pick into the next era of Pistons basketball.