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Edwards: I think if Monty Williams is the coach next year, there’s a good chance Bryson Graham is working for Detroit. Obviously, that’s a big if as to whether Monty is back.
Scotto: You said it’s a big if. Monty just signed a contract to be the highest-paid coach when he signed his deal.
Edwards: They just won 14 games, which is worse than last year without Cade Cunningham.
Scotto: I hear you, but that’s a lot of money. What are they doing with that? They’re just going to fire him and eat all that money? I understand that Monty wasn’t exactly itching to go to Detroit during that hiring process. They certainly interviewed Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee, and Jarron Collins, and when they weren’t satisfied with that trio for whatever reason, they pivoted to Monty and offered him a bag. Then, they stuffed the bag with more money. Then, they decided to bring the trucks full flooded with money as if they robbed a bank and gave him all that to convince him to take the job. It signaled to me that he didn’t want to take it, but it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. Certainly, it hasn’t been what Monty thought it would be, nor the Pistons. There was some speculation around the league about whether a buyout could happen. I don’t really know if I see that.
Edwards: I don’t see why Monty would do that.
Scotto: I don’t either. The only way I guess it’s plausible where you could see it from Monty is if he says this situation isn’t turning around for the better and if he gets most of his money and can go out and get a new deal somewhere else, maybe it behooves him.
Edwards: I think your points are strong. Monty – and I respect the heck out of him for saying this during his introductory presser – said he’d be lying if he said the money didn’t play a part in it. Guys always dance around that stuff. I’d also say NBA owners have a lot of money, and $50-60 million sounds like a lot to us, but I think that’s a drop in the bucket for most NBA owners. If Gores wanted to, he could sell a sliver of his ownership and pay for it.
I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibilities. We talked to Gores around Christmas, and he said he was doing things like speaking to Monty about rotations and stuff you don’t really hear owners say. I don’t know if he comes back. There’s part of me that thinks he does, but there’s part of me that thinks he doesn’t. I’m curious to find out. I think who they hire as President of Basketball Operations will be very telling in that regard.
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Scotto: Do you have a percentage on Monty returning?
Edwards: That’s tough. I think the situation has gotten a little weird. Gores’ comments were interesting going back to December. The fact that they’re hiring a President of Basketball Operations and giving that person full autonomy if they want to clean house. Factoring in how much money he makes, I’d say 60-40, he’s not the coach next year.
Mike, you made the point that Monty probably wouldn’t do a buyout unless he thinks he can get another job somewhere. Do you think, given how the situation has gone here and how it went in Phoenix, there will be another job lining up for him? Maybe that’s why he wouldn’t entertain a buyout and would like to try and turn things around here. He either has to be at peace not knowing where his next coaching gig would be, and he’s fine with that, or not at peace and still wants to coach several years down the line and isn’t sure what could happen if he takes a buyout here.
Scotto: I’m looking at it if you’re Monty, and even if you don’t have something lined up, is it better than the alternative? This team is not good, and it’s not necessarily going to be good next year. I’m not sitting here saying this will be a playoff team next year. With that in mind, maybe he could take a year off. Who knows. Is the alternative better than this? It might be.
I don’t know if Monty is a guy who’s a rebuilding coach in the mold of Kenny Atkinson, for example, and a player development guy. Monty has thrived for the majority of his career with Chris Paul as his point guard. That Suns team was loaded with talent, and he maximized it. If there’s a situation where a team underperforms in the playoffs and they think they’re a coach away, maybe they look at Monty and revert back to the Phoenix tenure and think he can be rejuvenated. It’s plausible.
