Isiah Thomas has "recently emerg(ed) as a top candidate to take over the role" as the Detroit Pistons' top basketball executive, according to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. That spot is currently filled by Joe Dumars, who is Thomas' former backcourt partner. But Dumars, according to Lawrence, "has been on borrowed time for a while" because of his affinity for firing coaches.
Would the Pistons really hire Isiah Thomas as their GM?
The former Pistons point guard has reportedly emerged as a top candidate to take over as Detroit’s GM. Would the Pistons really hire him?
Ethan Miller
Sunday Shootaround
Dumars has fired eight skippers since 2000, with Mo Cheeks serving as the latest victim. Dumars is also responsible for the Pistons' odd roster construction. He signed Josh Smith to a four-year, $54 million contract last summer, stuck him at small forward and didn't make any deals at this year's trade deadline that would help Detroit financially or on the basketball court.
But would the Pistons really turn to Thomas, even after his woefully unsuccessful general manager stint with the New York Knicks? Thomas left the Knicks in a salary cap bind and left owner James Dolan and Madison Square Garden with an eight-figure sexual harassment lawsuit. His time with the Knicks is understood as a failure.
Lawrence, however, says that Pistons owner, Tom Gores, is a lot like Dolan in that “what he knows about pro basketball you can probably fit in a thimble, and he loves his stars.” In Detroit, Thomas is a star. He’s the face of the 1989 and 1990 championship teams. If any place were to welcome Thomas back to a front office, it might be Detroit.
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