While no NBA organization is rooting for their competitors to succeed, the New York Knicks have a good reason to hope the Detroit Pistons head coach search this offseason fails miserably.
Over the last few weeks, five different NBA coaches were either handed their walking papers or not re-signed to new contracts. One of those teams is the Detroit Pistons. the franchise let head coach Dwane Casey resign with dignity instead of firing him and are now looking for their fifth head coach in the last decade.
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It is unsurprising because they have had just two winning seasons over the last 10 years. Unlike other franchises, the Detroit Pistons are not necessarily looking to add a big-name coach to try and fix their long-standing problems and reportedly see Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee and former Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie as the favorites to land the position.
On Friday, SNY NBA insider Ian Begley reported that the team is also considering former franchise star and current Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse.
New York Knicks future first-round picks: 2024 X4, 2025 X2, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029
However, no matter who they pick to be their next head coach, the New York Knicks have reason to hope that the next person to fill the position does about as well as his recent predecessors. The reason is that the Knicks currently own the Pistons’ first-round pick in 2024. However, the selection is protected.
If the Pistons surprise and are a very good team next year, and their pick falls outside of the first 18 spots, the New York Knicks will get the pick. However, if they fall within No. 1 to 18, they keep the pick, and the owed selection moves to 2025 where it will be top 13 protected. The same happens in 2026 where it is top 11 protected, and 2027 where it reverts to the Pistons if it lands in the top nine.
What this all means is if Detroit gets a coach that turns things around, the New York Knicks will get a less valuable selection. However, the more the Pistons disappoint over the next few years, the more likely it is they get a better future first-rounder. An asset they would like to add to improve a blockbuster trade package for a superstar player.