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Detroit Pistons Hire Former LA Lakers Head Coach

The Detroit Pistons hired a former Los Angeles Lakers head coach to join J.B. Bickerstaff.
Justin Grasso|
Nov 20, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton is restrained by assistant coach Alvin Gentry during the second quarter against the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton is restrained by assistant coach Alvin Gentry during the second quarter against the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports | Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

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Detroit PistonsLos Angeles Lakers

The Detroit Pistons are working on finalizing its coaching staff for the 2024-2025 NBA season. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the team is adding Luke Walton to the staff.

Per Charania’s report, Walton will serve as J.B. Bickerstaff’s lead assistant. Since 2022, Walton worked with Bickerstaff on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The former player, who was drafted in the 2003 NBA Draft’s second round, entered the coaching space in 2011. Walton came up in the NBA’s developmental pipeline before landing an assistant position with the Golden State Warriors in 2014.

After a couple of seasons with the Warriors, Walton landed his first head coaching job with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was the replacement for Byron Scott.

In three seasons with the Lakers, Walton’s teams achieved a 98-148 record. Each year, the Lakers missed the playoffs. Following the 2018-2019 season, Walton and the Lakers parted ways. Not long after leaving LA, Walton stuck around in California and became the head coach of the Sacramento Kings.

Once again, Walton coached for three seasons. He went 31-41 in each of the first two seasons, missing the playoffs. In year three, Walton’s Kings started the year off 6-11. He would last 17 games before the Kings decided to fire him. Walton’s six-year tenure as a head coach has resulted in a 166-241 record.

This year, the Pistons decided to make major changes to the front office and the coaching staff. Despite hiring Monty Williams to become the head coach last summer, Detroit called it quits with Williams just one year into his six-season deal. After considering a handful of candidates to replace Williams, the Pistons decided to hire Bickerstaff, who was let go by the Cavaliers at the end of Cleveland’s 2024 playoff run.

Bickerstaff and Walton now reunite in Detroit.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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