Former Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams. Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Monty Williams' exit from Pistons leads to stunning buyout numbers

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Jun 20, 2024 8:02 AM ET

The Detroit Pistons fired head coach Monty Williams on Wednesday after just one season at the helm.

Williams was hired by the Pistons on a six-year, $78.5M contract in June 2023 and will still be paid over $65M following his departure.

Williams -- a two-time NBA coach of the year -- was lured to Detroit with a massive six-year deal after leaving the Suns. He had initially planned to sit out a season while dealing with his wife's cancer diagnosis, but took on Pistons' rebuild under Troy Weaver. Now, a new front… https://t.co/12XIHbqoFp
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 19, 2024

Detroit went an NBA-worst 14-68 during the 2023-24 campaign, a season that included a record-tying 28-game losing streak.

The 68 defeats were also the most in franchise history and the most in the Association since the Philadelphia 76ers suffered 72 losses in the 2015-16 season.

The Detroit #Pistons have fired HC Monty Williams (@wojespn) with more than $65M left on his contract

According to our data, only 4 players have earned more than $65M as a member of the Pistons:

1. Blake Griffin, $138M
2. Andre Drummond, $98M
3. Richard Hamilton, $94M
4. Reggie…
— Spotrac (@spotrac) June 19, 2024

With the stunning amount of money that the Pistons are tossing to Williams in his buyout, some compared it to how much UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley was being offered by the Los Angeles Lakers for their head-coaching gig.

It was reported last week that Hurley had turned down a six-year, $70M offer to coach the Lakers.

The #Pistons are paying Monty Williams nearly as much to not coach them as the #Lakers attempted to pay Dan Hurley to coach them going forward.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) June 19, 2024

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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