DETROIT (AP) — After four seasons of mostly mediocre results, the Detroit Pistons are moving on without Stan Van Gundy.He won't return as president of basketball operations and he isn't staying on as Detroit's coach, either.Van Gundy held both those roles for four years, and at times the Pistons seemed to be making progress. But they made the playoffs only once during his tenure, in 2016, and the team announced his departure Monday. Owner Tom Gores said it was a difficult decision."I am grateful to Stan for everything he's done for the Pistons and for the city of Detroit," Gores said. "He rebuilt the culture of our basketball team, re-instilled a winning attitude and work ethic, and took us to the playoffs two years ago. He went all-in from Day One to positively impact this franchise and this community."But over the past two seasons our team has not progressed, and we decided that a change is necessary to regain our momentum," Gores said.The Pistons went 39-43 this season, missing the playoffs... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — After four seasons of mostly mediocre results, the Detroit Pistons are moving on without Stan Van Gundy.He won't return as president of basketball operations and he isn't staying on as Detroit's coach, either.Van Gundy held both those roles for four years, and at times the Pistons seemed to be making progress. But they made the playoffs only once during his tenure, in 2016, and the team announced his departure Monday. Owner Tom Gores said it was a difficult decision."I am grateful to Stan for everything he's done for the Pistons and for the city of Detroit," Gores said. "He rebuilt the culture of our basketball team, re-instilled a winning attitude and work ethic, and took us to the playoffs two years ago. He went all-in from Day One to positively impact this franchise and this community."But over the past two seasons our team has not progressed, and we decided that a change is necessary to regain our momentum," Gores said.The Pistons went 39-43 this season, missing the playoffs... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — After four seasons of mostly mediocre results, the Detroit Pistons are moving on without Stan Van Gundy.He won't return as president of basketball operations and he isn't staying on as Detroit's coach, either.Van Gundy held both those roles for four years, and at times the Pistons seemed to be making progress. But they made the playoffs only once during his tenure, in 2016, and the team announced his departure Monday. Owner Tom Gores said it was a difficult decision."I am grateful to Stan for everything he's done for the Pistons and for the city of Detroit," Gores said. "He rebuilt the culture of our basketball team, re-instilled a winning attitude and work ethic, and took us to the playoffs two years ago. He went all-in from Day One to positively impact this franchise and this community."But over the past two seasons our team has not progressed, and we decided that a change is necessary to regain our momentum," Gores said.The Pistons went 39-43 this season, missing the playoffs... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Stan Van Gundy will not return to the Detroit Pistons as coach or president of basketball operations.The Pistons announced Van Gundy's departure Monday, with owner Tom Gores saying it was a difficult decision. He said Van Gundy wanted to return for a fifth season with the team."I am grateful to Stan for everything he's done for the Pistons and for the city of Detroit," Gore said. "He rebuilt the culture of our basketball team, re-instilled a winning attitude and work ethic, and took us to the playoffs two years ago. He went all-in from Day One to positively impact this franchise and this community."But over the past two seasons our team has not progressed, and we decided that a change is necessary to regain our momentum," Gores said.The Pistons went 39-43 this season, missing the playoffs for the third time in four years under Van Gundy. They've made the postseason just once in the past nine seasons, and even a blockbuster trade for Blake Griffin wasn't enough to salvage... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons can certainly attest to how long the NBA season is.For two months, they looked like a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference during a 19-14 start that included victories at Golden State, Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Boston. Then an ankle injury to point guard Reggie Jackson derailed Detroit's season, and even a bold trade for Blake Griffin wasn't enough to push the Pistons to the playoffs.Detroit's promising start now feels like a long time ago, and the big question for this offseason is the status of Stan Van Gundy, who has just one playoff appearance in four seasons as coach and president of basketball operations."I think we have to make changes," owner Tom Gores said earlier this week.It's not clear if those changes will involve moving on from Van Gundy, who never had much of a chance to coach the Pistons at full strength after Jackson's ankle injury Dec. 26. He didn't come back until the latter half of March.After faltering badly following Jackson's... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons capped a busy couple of weeks with an active deadline day.The Pistons acquired James Ennis from the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday for Brice Johnson and a 2022 second-round draft pick. It was the second deal announced by Detroit on the day of the NBA's trade deadline. The Pistons also acquired Jameer Nelson from Chicago.Detroit made a major splash last week when it landed star forward Blake Griffin in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Pistons acquired Johnson and Willie Reed in that deal along with Griffin, but now they're moving on without Reed and Johnson. Reed was traded in the deal for Nelson.The 6-foot-7 Ennis has averaged 6.9 points in 45 games this season.The Pistons had lost eight straight when they traded for Griffin. They've won five in a row since then, with Griffin available for four of those victories. Griffin will face his former team Friday night, when Detroit hosts the Clippers.The Pistons sent Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris to... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Miami center Hassan Whiteside is out for the Heat's game at Detroit with an illness.Whiteside is averaging 14.1 points and 11.7 rebounds this season. Kelly Olynyk started at center Saturday night for the Heat.Detroit is not at full strength either, with rookie Luke Kennard (foot) and guard Dwight Buycks (illness) missing the game. The Pistons have been without point guard Reggie Jackson since late December because of an ankle injury.Detroit is playing its second game with newly acquired star Blake Griffin.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

DETROIT (AP) — With his team in a slump that threatened to derail a once-promising season, Stan Van Gundy boldly put the Detroit Pistons on a new path.Where it will lead is anyone's guess.The trade that brought Blake Griffin to the Pistons includes plenty of risk. The 6-foot-10 forward with an All-Star pedigree has a lengthy highlight reel and an injury history to match. But in his fourth season as Detroit's coach and team president, Van Gundy wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. If healthy, Griffin is the type of player who could lift this franchise significantly — and not just this season."The hardest thing to do in this league is to get a proven star," Van Gundy said Tuesday. "You get very few opportunities to do it."Detroit has made the playoffs once under Van Gundy, but when the Pistons lost their eighth straight game Sunday, this season seemed to be slipping away. Detroit has looked lost without injured point guard Reggie Jackson, and although center Andre Drummond is signed... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — With his team in a slump that threatened to derail a once-promising season, Stan Van Gundy boldly put the Detroit Pistons on a new path.Where it will lead is anyone's guess.The trade that brought Blake Griffin to the Pistons includes plenty of risk. The 6-foot-10 forward with an All-Star pedigree has a lengthy highlight reel and an injury history to match. But in his fourth season as Detroit's coach and team president, Van Gundy wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. If healthy, Griffin is the type of player who could lift this franchise significantly — and not just this season."The hardest thing to do in this league is to get a proven star," Van Gundy said Tuesday. "You get very few opportunities to do it."Detroit has made the playoffs once under Van Gundy, but when the Pistons lost their eighth straight game Sunday, this season seemed to be slipping away. Detroit has looked lost without injured point guard Reggie Jackson, and although center Andre Drummond is signed... [More]

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Pistons dramatically shook their struggling roster by acquiring one of the NBA's top players in Blake Griffin in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.The deal for the five-time All-Star forward was announced early Tuesday, giving Detroit a player who has been the face of the Clippers but whose career has been undercut by injuries.Detroit sent forward Tobias Harris, guard Avery Bradley and center Boban Marjanovic to Los Angeles, with the Clippers also receiving draft picks. Detroit also acquired forward Brice Johnson and center Willie Reed."We are serious about winning, and this is a major move to improve our team," Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement. "Blake Griffin is one of the NBA's elite players, and when you get an opportunity to add that kind of talent, you take it."For the Clippers, moving Griffin is another step in a makeover of a franchise that has never made it past the second round of the playoffs.Griffin was not expected to play... [More]

The Detroit Pistons recalled forward Henry Ellenson and guard Luke Kennard on Sunday from the Grand Rapids Drive, the team's NBA G League affiliate.Ellenson, the 18th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, had a game-high 28 points, nine rebounds and one assist in the Drive's 112-106 win over the Raptors 905 on Sunday. In five games with the Pistons this season, he is averaging 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 13.0 minutes per game.Kennard, drafted 12th overall this year, scored 26 points with four rebounds, three assists and four steals in the Drive win. He is averaging 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 13.0 minutes in five games with the Pistons this season.

The Detroit Pistons signed rookie guard Luke Kennard on Saturday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed for Kennard, the No. 12 overall selection in last month's NBA Draft.The 6-foot-6 Kennard averaged a team-leading 19.5 points to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists as a sophomore last season at Duke.Kennard shot 43.8 percent from 3-point range and was selected to the Wooden Award All-American Team.During Duke's run to the ACC tournament championship, Kennard averaged 20.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, earning the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.Kennard averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists as a freshman for the Blue Devils.