ESPN/Stein: Pistons, Brown close to contract buyout

[CubanMustGo]

... stupid Larry Brown ...

After back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals under Larry Brown, the Detroit Pistons will have a new coach next season, sources close to the situation told ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

The Pistons and Brown, sources said, moved closer Monday to a buyout of Brown's contract, which has three years left at an estimated $18 million.

It was not immediately known whether the buyout would contain any stipulations that would prevent Brown from coaching another team for this upcoming season.

Brown said as recently as Friday that he was "confident" about returning to the Pistons next season, having overcome season-long speculation about new jobs to lead Detroit to within one victory of back-to-back championships. Yet Brown, according to sources, could not guarantee that his health would hold up for a full season, which Pistons owner Bill Davidson had made a prerequisite for the 64-year-old's return.

It was not immediately known if the buyout arrangement would be finalized Monday.

It also remains to be seen whether Brown -- plagued by serious bladder complications throughout much of the season after hip surgery -- intends to take some time away from coaching or immediately pursue the New York Knicks' vacancy. New York president Isiah Thomas has held off on making Herb Williams his full-time head coach in the event that Brown becomes available.

Ex-Minnesota coach Flip Saunders, who turned down a lucrative offer from Milwaukee while waiting for the months-long Brown saga to reach a climax, is the leading candidate to replace Brown in Detroit but has yet to interview with the Pistons.

[Solid D]

also posted earlier by Pistons<Spurs in NBA Forum.

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21941

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Could the blockbuster FA signing of the summer be a coach?

[Kori Ellis]

It was not immediately known whether the buyout would contain any stipulations that would prevent Brown from coaching another team for this upcoming season.

I seriously doubt they'll be those kinds of restrictions. Larry Brown will likely be coaching another NBA team when the season starts and he'll say that the Pistons forced him out. :rolleyes

[Pistons < Spurs]

I seriously doubt they'll be those kinds of restrictions. Larry Brown will likely be coaching another NBA team when the season starts and he'll say that the Pistons forced him out. :rolleyes


The word right now is that he is going to take a year off to get helathy and spend time with the family.

[rayray2k8]

is anybody really that surprised?

[Dos]

too much coaching drama first philip and now brown.. I hope if he is sick he takes time to get better...

I don't know if flip can keep the pistons playing as a team.I mean you look at tpups .. they were in the WC finals last year.. and this year he couldn't motivate the tpups to play team ball, sheesh didn't even make it back to the playoffs... I think flip will have a harder time controling sheed than brown did... IMO...

[spurster]

Just trying to play the right way.

[Spurologist]

Just trying to play the right way.

:lol

[tlongII]

I think the Pistons will be much worse this season as a result of Larry Brown leaving. The "team concept" will be going out the window. This is a good thing since we have their 1st round pick!

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I think the Pistons will be much worse this season as a result of Larry Brown leaving. The "team concept" will be going out the window. This is a good thing since we have their 1st round pick!

I actually think that this kind of shit will galvanize the team to try and prove that it was them that won the title and not Larry. Besides, with the core talent in place, the East remains a little weak. The Pacers will be better, Miami will stay about the same as Wade gets better and Shaq gets worse. There are other teams like Cleveland and Milwaukee that are improving but are still a year or two away from making a real impact.

[CosmicCowboy]

sheesh!

*sniff*sniff*

uhhh...Larry...I think you need to go check your diaper.

[spurschick]

The word right now is that he is going to take a year off to get helathy and spend time with the family.

How very Phil Jackson of him.

[timvp]

LB is a biatch. Always has been, always will be.

[exstatic]

Here's the deal, Larry. You walk away without a dime, and we don't turn your ass in for tampering with the Cleveland franchise while employed by us.

Sincerely

Bill Davidson

[Pistons < Spurs]

How very Phil Jackson of him.
LOL :spin

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

stupid Larry Brown

Actually the dumbass right now looks to be Phil Jackson. If he would have waited around two months he could have been the new Pistons coach.

Certainly beats the three ring circus that is Kobe's Kids these days.

[Mr. Body]

It looks like there's a buyout clause if a team picks him up this year, both for that team and for Larry Brown, which I see as a 'good-faith' clause for Brown to show he's serious about taking a year off and recuperating.

The Pistons might be galvanized by this move in order to prove they're more than their coach, but when you get down to the nitty-gritty, Saunders is not the level of coach Brown is and it'll show in the later rounds of the playoffs.

[Pistons < Spurs]

Brown and Pistons Appear Close to Buyout Deal

The Detroit Pistons moved closer to separating from their head coach Larry Brown today as he intends to accept a buyout of his contract, according to a person in the N.B.A. briefed on the negotiations.

Terms of a buyout are still being discussed - Brown has three years and close to $21 million left on the deal - and it is believed that an agreement would enable Brown to become a coaching free agent and leave on mutually agreeable terms.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because negotiations with the Pistons were not yet complete.

One year after Brown coached the Pistons to an N.B.A. championship but months after he was in negotiations for a front office job in Cleveland - as well as speaking about the Knicks and Lakers jobs - the Pistons apparently have decided that it was best to part ways with Brown.

The Minnesota coach, Flip Saunders, is the leading candidate to replace Brown, although the Pistons have yet to begin negotiations with him.

Brown is likely to pursue coaching the Knicks, but probably not until the 2006-2007 season, said the person briefed on the negotiation, although Brown could serve as a consultant for the Knicks as early as this season.

The Knicks are likely to move forward to sign Herb Williams as head coach of a team that still lacks championship potential - this year - and then hope that Brown is encouraged to join the team the following year.

Such a break would enable Brown, who has coached continuously for two straight years, including the Olympics last summer, to fully recover from his health issues. It would allow him to repair a recurring image as a vagabond coach, which he incurred again by seeking the Cleveland job during the playoffs in Detroit.

"If there is a parting of the ways, Larry will be afforded his rightful dues," Joe Glass, Brown's agent, said today. "Nothing conclusive has been decided. I had discussions today with the Pistons and I will continue to do so tomorrow. I hope everybody fully understands that Larry Brown is not quitting. He is fully in control of the same statement he has always had, that he is ready to come back to as coach of the Pistons."

Brown, who turns 65 in September, had repeatedly said in recent weeks he wanted to remain as head coach, but he always qualified it with his health concerns, complications from hip surgery that caused him to miss 17 games this season.

His behavior was known to have upset the Pistons' owner, Bill Davidson, who was frustrated by Brown's discussions with Cleveland during the playoffs and concerned that Brown would not be able to guarantee his health this season.

Over the past two weeks, the Pistons and Glass have been in discussions about Brown's willingness to return. An impending buyout seems the best way for both sides to resolve the uncertainty that hung over the situation.

The Pistons spokesman, Matt Dobek, said this afternoon that there was nothing yet to report because negotiations were not "that far along."

Brown has been through this dissolution process before in a Hall of Fame career encompassing 10 coaching jobs. He left as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs in January of 1992, saying he had been fired by owner Red McCombs, but at the time the Spurs said that Brown had resigned.

He was fired by the Nets in 1983 right before the playoffs when they discovered he was negotiating to become the coach at U.C.L.A.

In Detroit, Brown had compiled a record of 108-56 and took his team to the finals both seasons because of his ability to enforce defensive principles and rally a team without superstars around his "right way" of playing.

[Mavs<Spurs]

LB is a great coach when that's what he's focused on. While health issues are an undeniable issue for him, these other distractions showed his heart was not really with the Pistons. The Pistons did as well as they could with the talent they have. They already overachieved and LB's abilities got the most out of them he could last year. Without him, they will be a good team, but will not be in the Finals next year. With this same LB as we saw in the last postseason, they would not have been in the Finals anyways. I think they become a second tier team. First tier teams being San Antonio, Miami. Darkhorses to become first tier teams: Houston (if Yao can ever stay out of foul trouble and consistently put up big numbers) and Minnesota (KG must be motivated after not making the playoffs last year, can McCants help them?). Dallas will remain a second tier team until they get a prime time low post player (center or power forward) who can score with his back to the basket, force double teams ...
Phoenix is confused about what they are trying to do. Fast paced, run and gun is what they do best, but their pickups this summer are not geared to that. They seem to think they need to have beef to beat us, but that's not their game and I don't that this bagum mixtum will work. Seattle obviously won't be as good this year as last year. A number of good teams out there, but I don't see any of them elevating to title contender anytime soon barring a huge move (e.g. Indiana)

[exstatic]

Davidson was WAY to lenient. He should have forced Brown's hand, told him that he was expected at training camp in October, and if he had a problem with that, he could quit.

[Pistons < Spurs]

The Pistons did as well as they could with the talent they have. They already overachieved and LB's abilities got the most out of them he could last year. Without him, they will be a good team, but will not be in the Finals next year. With this same LB as we saw in the last postseason, they would not have been in the Finals anyways. I think they become a second tier team.
:rolleyes :rolleyes
Overachieved? Making it to the Finals 2 yrs in a row is not really overachieving. The previous 2 yrs, we were in the ECF without LB and w/out Sheed.

I think it's good for our future, and see no reason we won't be in the Finals again this year...assuming we get some work done in free agency.

[Mr. Body]

Why would you want a public relations nightmare and a crotchedy coach? Brown already proved how a distracted coach can cost a championship. The time is now for them, so why waste another year with a coach that doesn't want to be there?

[Spursdaone]

The Pistons were lucky to have 2 great coaches in a row but if Flip becomes their coach it is over.

[Pistons < Spurs]

The Pistons were lucky to have 2 great coaches in a row but if Flip becomes their coach it is over.

Are our players suddenly going to forget how to play because we have a diff coach? Flip will do fine for us. He's not given nearly the amount of respect that he deserves.

[exstatic]

Why would you want a public relations nightmare and a crotchedy coach? Brown already proved how a distracted coach can cost a championship. The time is now for them, so why waste another year with a coach that doesn't want to be there?

It's known as "calling his bluff". Everyone on the planet knows he doesn't want to be there. Bill Davidson shouldn't have to pay him to leave. Believe me, Larry Brown is WAY too much of a baby to actually show up and collect a paycheck in a job that no longer has his interest. I'd force him to honor his contract, or to quit. I'd be George fucking Steinbrenner, all over his ass in the press. Make his life a living hell.

[Spursdaone]

I remember last year that Minnesota was last place in hustle plays. This guy doesn't get the amount of respect that LB or Rick Carlisle got. It is a downgrade and Detroit depends so much in playing as a team.

[MannyIsGod]

Somewhere Rick Carlisle is laughing his ass off. It serves the Pistons right after the way they sold him out for LB that LB would in turn sell them out in favor of Lebron. Don't forget, that while Larry Brown got credit for the team success last year, Rick Carlisle had them poised to do the same thing after taking them to the ECF. As far as I'm concerned, Brown hijacked what Rick started and then got credit for it.

As for Brown? I hope he sits in a pile of his own urine soaked depends. He's an asshole who always has one foot out the door. It makes me happy that the Cavs went with Ferry and hanging Larry "I wet my pants" Brown out to dry.

[TheTruth]

Somewhere Rick Carlisle is laughing his ass off.
Yet, still ringless.

[MannyIsGod]

Yet, still ringless.
Oh, we both know he's far from done trying. Karma.

[milkyway21]

On the road again
Brown, Pistons part ways; Saunders next in line
In two years in Motown, Larry Brown led the Pistons to a 104-56 regular-season record and two appearances in the Finals.

Larry Brown and the Detroit Pistons have decided to part ways, SI.com learned Monday. The announcement will become official in the next 24 hours as the two sides haggle over the final terms, but it appears that the terms of Brown's buyout will prevent him from coaching another team for the next year.

If he is desperate to coach the Knicks, then they would have to negotiate terms of compensation with the Pistons. But if he were to move to the Knicks within the next year, I'm told that Brown would also relieve the Pistons of their remaining financial obligations to him. The exact terms of the buyout aren't known, although Brown had three years and $21 million remaining on his contract.

The Pistons will almost surely announce, in short order, that they are hiring former Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders. There are some within the Pistons organization who worry that Saunders will face inordinate pressure by stepping in for Brown, who in two years won a championship and made it to Game 7 of this season's NBA Finals.

But I think just the opposite will be true. The Pistons will be the most motivated team in the league next season, determined to prove that Brown received far too much credit for the players' success. If his history is a guide, Saunders will feed his new team's ambition from the first day of his tenure by giving all the credit to his new players, and in return they will be invested in making Saunders look good. Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups and their teammates can be expected to do everything they can to show that the organization can perform better without Brown. In the end, Brown will endow the Pistons with more motivation by leaving than he ever could have provided by staying next season.

The other reason Saunders will succeed is that he will understand the dynamics of this well-balanced team. A lot of coaches who are used to the NBA star system might have trouble adapting to the Pistons, who are the only team in the last 25 years to win a championship without a first-team All-NBA player. But Saunders, who spent seven years in the CBA, crafted a track record at Minnesota of mixing and matching individuals by exploiting their strengths and hiding their weaknesses while putting a balanced winner on the floor. He is, arguably, the best of all possible fits for this team.

One of Brown's options now is to explore a move to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who held their team presidency open for two months for him before hiring Danny Ferry as GM. Perhaps he could return to Cleveland as a consultant, but it's hard to imagine that the Cavaliers would be willing to upset their relationship with Ferry, who has been doing a terrific job on short notice.

Brown's other known option is in New York, where the clock is now running on the tenure of Knicks coach Herb Williams. The Knicks' current coach will need a strong start next season with his revamped roster to snuff out speculation that Brown will eventually replace him.

So here's a prediction: Brown spends the next year recuperating physically, advising the Cavaliers informally and investigating future jobs -- either as the Knicks' head coach or as a team president for another franchise. But where he ends up is anyone's guess.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/ian_thomsen/07/18/brown.pistons/index.html