J.B. Bickerstaff has agreed to a five-year deal to turn out to be the following coach of the Detroit Pistons, sources instructed ESPN on Sunday.
Bickerstaff emerged from a area of a number of candidates to land the job underneath new president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon. Bickerstaff ushered the Cleveland Cavaliers by means of a rebuild, successful 99 regular-season video games over the previous two seasons. He led Cleveland to the Jap Convention playoffs in consecutive years — together with a convention semifinals berth this yr. The Cavaliers dismissed Bickerstaff after the season, hiring Kenny Atkinson.
The Pistons can be Bickerstaff’s fourth head-coaching job, together with stops in Houston, Memphis and Cleveland. Detroit fired coach Monty Williams after a league-worst 14-68 season, his first yr in a six-year, $78.5 million contract. Possession additionally moved on from normal supervisor Troy Weaver, bringing on Langdon, who has charted a course for a deliberate rebuild that’s anticipated to suit effectively with Bickerstaff’s expertise with the Cavaliers.
Langdon has been aggressive in gathering entrance workplace and training expertise in latest weeks, hiring Mike Blackstone and Dennis Lindsey in his entrance workplace and now transferring shortly to land Bickerstaff out of a area that included Dallas Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, who made a robust impression within the course of, sources mentioned.
The Pistons are hoping to signal 2021 No. 1 draft choose Cade Cunningham to a long-term contract on his rookie extension and are prioritizing using their wage cap area to tackle veteran contracts strapped with future draft picks.
After changing John Beilein as interim coach in 2020, Bickerstaff had a 170-159 (.517) report in 5 seasons with the Cavaliers. Cleveland was the Jap Convention’s fourth seed with a 48-34 report this season, beating the Orlando Magic within the opening spherical of the playoffs.
Boston defeated Cleveland 4-1 within the convention semifinals, throughout which the Cavs had been with out middle Jarrett Allen and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell missed the ultimate two video games with a calf damage.