Update from Wednesday, July 3, at 11:45 a.m.: The Pistons have formally announced the hiring of J.B. Bickerstaff
Watch J.B. Bickerstaff's first press conference on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. here
"I am pleased to have J.B. joining our franchise and commend our front office team on leading an extensive search," said Pistons owner Tom Gores on the hiring. "This is a pivotal time, and we need a leader who can immediately instill a culture of growth, development and inspiration. After spending time with J.B., it’s clear he is a passionate teacher with a competitive spirit who knows what it takes to win in today’s NBA. He’s also a strong communicator, which provides great synergy with Trajan and the front office team we have assembled. He will be an outstanding partner in helping our players maximize their potential and compete consistently.”
“I’m excited to welcome J.B. Bickerstaff as our head coach,” said President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon. “I am confident that he is going to create an environment for our players that will prioritize development while building a highly competitive atmosphere. J.B. is a winner, a great communicator and will put systems in place to put our players in position to reach their potential. I look forward to partnering with him in executing our vision.”
“Detroit has a great basketball history and I look forward to the opportunity to join Trajan in building a product on the floor that everyone can be proud of,” said J.B. Bickerstaff. “As Trajan and Tom expressed their collective goals, it aligns with how I coach and how I look to develop players and drive results. We’re going to put a group of players on the floor that will compete each night and we won’t skip steps to be successful.”
An introductory press conference for Bickerstaff has not yet been announced.
Sunday, June 30: The Detroit Pistons are hiring J.B. Bickerstaff as their next head coach, according to a reportfrom ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski reported that Bickerstaff agreed to a five-year contract with the Pistons. Citing sources, James Edwards with The Athletic reported that four years of the deal are guaranteed.
Bickerstaff was most recently the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, coaching eleven games in the 2019-20 season and four full seasons after that. Bickerstaff was fired by the Cavaliers after leading them to the Eastern Conference in the 2024 NBA playoffs.
Bickerstaff has a 255-290 record as a head coach in the regular season, and a 7-15 record in the playoffs. When the Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic earlier this spring, it was his first playoff series victory as a head coach. Before coaching with the Cavs, Bickerstaff had head coaching stints with the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies, and has served as an assistant coach with the Rockets, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Charlotte Hornets. He's been coaching in the NBA since the 2004-05 season.
This hire comes less than two weeks after the Pistons dismissed Monty Williams after one season at the helm, where he led the Pistons to a franchise-worst 14-68 record, which is both the most amount of losses and the least amount of wins in a single season in franchise history. He also coached the Pistons during their 28-game losing streak, a mark that tied for the longest in NBA history.
This is the first head coaching hire made by President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon, who was introduced earlier this month.
WATCH: Pistons officially introduce Trajan Langdon as President of Basketball Operations
The Pistons added two players in the 2024 NBA Draft: NBA G League Ignite forward Ron Holland in the first round (pick No. 5) and forward Bobbi Klintman (No. 37)who most recently played in the Australian National Basketball League.
WATCH: Pistons rookie Ron Holland confident he can help rebuilding team
Earlier this week, the Pistons also acquired Wendell Moorefrom the Minnesota Timberwolves via trade, and traded guard Quentin Grimesto the Dallas Mavericks for former Michigan standout Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks.
