Adrian Wojnarowski explains why the Pistons decided to fire Monty Williams well after their season ended. (1:24)
New Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, who was hired a month ago, had been meeting regularly with Williams the franchise's future, but the decision to dismiss Williams was directed from the ownership level with Tom Gores, sources told ESPN.
The Pistons finished with a franchise-record 68 losses last season. Their struggles aren't new, however, as they have the third-worst winning percentage in any five-season span in NBA history, trailing two overlapping spans by the Vancouver Grizzlies.
Gores and Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem had been advocates of dismissing Williams, sources said.
With the draft and free agency looming, it's an inopportune time for Langdon to conduct a coaching search. The Pistons recently agreed on terms to hire New Orleans Pelicans assistant Fred Vinson as a prominent assistant coach, sources said. Vinson had history with Williams and Langdon in New Orleans.
Gores lured Williams to Detroit with a historic six-year, $78 million contract after he was fired by the Phoenix Suns and tasked him with the Pistons' massive rebuild. Williams had planned to sit out the season after his wife was diagnosed with cancer but became taken with Gores' courtship and massive offer to coach Detroit. Williams had a strong relationship with ousted general manager Troy Weaver.
The Pistons tied an NBA record with a 28-game regular-season losing streak and finished with a league-worst 14-68 record.
