Chicago — The Pistons are in need of a new head coach after Dwane Casey announced his decision to step down on Sunday after five years at the helm of the franchise.
Casey finished his five seasons as Pistons coach with a regular-season record of 121-262, which included one postseason appearance in 2018-19. He was initially hired to coach a group of veterans that included Blake Griffin, Reggie Jackson and Derrick Rose, but the organization quickly shifted towards a rebuild that required Casey to coach a nucleus full of young players with inexperience.
With an busy offseason ahead, the Pistons will embark on a coaching search alongside the Houston Rockets, who parted ways with Stephen Silas on Sunday. The franchise will likely look for someone with coaching experience but a first-time coach is not off the table, according to a league source.
Pistons general manager Troy Weaver is expected to talk several candidates for his open head coaching job, including two assistants he worked with in Oklahoma City: Chicago’s Josh Longstaff and Brooklyn’s Brian Keefe, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
More: Niyo: In Pistons’ painful rebuild, Dwane Casey’s role worth appreciating
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Bucks assistant Charles Lee and former Celtics coach Ime Udoka are also expected to be among the candidate pool.
Here is a closer look at some candidates who could fit what owner Tom Gores and Weaver might be looking for:
Kenny Atkinson, Warriors assistant coach
It will be interesting to see which direction Gores and Weaver will take with Casey’s successor. Will they opt for a coach with experience or will they try their hand at a first-time candidate?
If they decide to choose the former, Atkinson could fall into the conversation. Atkinson, 55, spent four seasons as coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-20 and he had an opportunity to coach the Charlotte Hornets last offseason, but ultimately decided to remain on Steve Kerr’s coaching staff.
Atkinson has the experience, but is he the guy to lead the Pistons, who will have another top-five draft pick in the coming offseason?
Adrian Griffin, Raptors assistant coach
Griffin currently serves as Nick Nurse’s primary assistant coach and could find himself getting an opportunity to coach his own team in the near future.
Griffin was reportedly a candidate for the Utah Jazz’s coaching vacancy last offseason and he has served as acting head coach in place of Nurse, most notably when he coached the Raptors to a 119-118 win over the Pistons on Feb. 12.
If Nurse is dismissed by the Raptors at the end of the season, Griffin could become a viable option to take over the team he’s spent the last five seasons with.
Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt head coach
According to Yahoo Sports national NBA writer Vincent Goodwill, former Pistons guard Stackhouse could be a dark horse candidate for the Pistons’ coaching vacancy.
Stackhouse has served as Vanderbilt’s head coach since 2019 and he could be in line to make the jump to the NBA. Stackhouse, who played for the Pistons from 1998-2002, was in attendance for the Pistons’ teal jersey launch shortly before the season began.
It would be a risk to take on a first-time coach from the college game, but Stackhouse could be up for the challenge to coach the Pistons’ young roster.
Ime Udoka, former Boston Celtics coach
The most obvious candidate with a proven track record to replace Casey is Udoka, who led the Celtics to the NBA Finals last season.
Hiring Udoka could be risky for the team’s public perception since he was suspended by the Celtics for the 2022-23 season after having an affair with a married female staff member. The Pistons placed assistant general manager Rob Murphy on leave earlier this season for an alleged report of misconduct with a former female employee.
Udoka’s coaching career started in San Antonio, where he spent seven years alongside Gregg Popovich before one-year stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
Charles Lee, Bucks assistant coach
Lee is a name that has come up in several reports since Casey announced his resignation. He currently serves as the associate head coach behind Mike Budenholzer, who led the Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021.
Lee, like Griffin and Stackhouse, doesn’t have head coaching experience in the NBA but he’s a younger voice that could appeal to the Pistons’ young nucleus.
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2