Stephen Curry believes the dynasty built by the Golden State Warriors throughout his career will be the last of its kind in the NBA.

Curry has won four NBA championships with the Warriors since being drafted seventh overall in 2009, leading them to glory in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. 

Golden State missed the playoffs for just the third time in the last 12 seasons in 2023-24, finishing 46-36 then losing a Play-In tie against the Sacramento Kings.

Between 2014 and 2022, the Warriors made the NBA Finals on six occasions, having failed to do so in 39 years after winning the 1974-75 championship.

Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have, alongside Curry, formed the spine of the Warriors' lineup throughout that period, but the former left for the Dallas Mavericks last week after 13 years in San Francisco.

Speaking to ESPN's Malika Andrews, Curry said: "Obviously defining a dynasty can take a lot of different looks.

"People thought this was over in 2019, but 2022 was an amazing championship because we defied the odds. That's 11 years, almost 12 years, of championship relevancy built around a certain core."

Asked whether the Warriors' achievements during that period will be replicated, Curry said: "I don't think it will, just because it's very hard to keep things together in this league. There's a lot more player movement. 

"Me, Klay and Draymond, we complemented each other so well for so long. We all brought something different to the table, so we'll see. 

"Records are meant to be broken. Dynasties come in all different shapes and sizes, so we'll see."

While Thompson has made the decision to leave the Bay Area, Curry – who has two years remaining on his own contract – wants to stick around for the rest of his career, as long as the team can be competitive.

"Being in one place for my whole career, I know it's really hard to do that," he said. "I want to be greedy and say we can be relevant and be in the mix and give ourselves a realistic chance to win while I'm still growing these grey hairs and doing high school visits in the Bay for my daughter. 

"It's crazy. It's just the nature of where I'm at. But yes, all that is to say I love the Bay and the Bay is home and I never want that to change."

Bronny James "doesn't give a f***" what people think of him, his father LeBron has warned.

LeBron and his eldest son will team up for the Los Angeles Lakers next season, after Bronny was selected as the No.55 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

But LeBron, the NBA's all-time leading points scorer, has warned the media not to expect Bronny to struggle under pressure or fail to cope with any criticism.

"I don't know if people really understand Bronny," James told ESPN.

"He doesn't care. I actually care a little bit. When I came in [as a rookie], I wanted people to like me, and some of the things that people were saying about me kind of bothered me early on in my career. He doesn't give a f***.

"He does not care about nobody. He doesn't even listen to that stuff. He's like the coolest.

"He's the complete opposite of his dad. His dad will say something [to address the critics]. This bro does not care. Everything that's being said about him, he really does not care."

LeBron, though, believes his son, who is 19, has shown a fantastic mentality and attitude to make his own way in basketball.

"Just imagine if you were a kid, you were born into a situation where your dad was super famous, super wealthy and you the kid still had the drive to want to be able to accomplish things for yourself," James added.

"I personally don't know if I would've been able to do that if the roles were reversed.

"When I was coming up, I had no choice. I literally had no choice. I had to make it out for me. My mom, my family, my hometown, my city.

"Bronny has all the choices in the world. If Bronny wants to stop right now or never played basketball or just wanted to be a gamer or wanted to be a chef or wanted to do whatever, he could have done that.

"People don't understand how hard that is and the commitment for him to be coming out of heart surgery less than a year ago, for him to be able to be in the NBA, the kid, he's special."

The Sacramento Kings have agreed on a sign-and-trade that will land them free agent guard DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls on a three-year, $74 million contract.

The Kings will send forward Harrison Barnes and an unprotected 2031 pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs and guard Chris Duarte, two second-round picks and cash to the Bulls, according to sources.

The first two seasons of DeRozan’s contract are fully guaranteed with a partial guarantee for the final year and includes $59 million in guaranteed money.

With the addition of DeRozan, the Kings have forged a formidable nucleus that includes All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, All-Star center Domantas Sabonis and promising young forward Keegan Murray.

DeRozan is a six-time All-Star and is coming off an impressive three-year run with the Bulls and averaged 24 points on 48 percent shooting along with 4.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 2023-24.

He is a three-time All-NBA selection and has played for Toronto, San Antonio and Chicago across his 15 NBA seasons. He’s averaged 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 1,110 career NBA games.

The 34-year-old may not be a No. 1 option anymore, but he won’t need to be on a Sacramento team loaded with weapons. DeRozan should flourish in a secondary scoring role with the Kings.

Sacramento was looking to do something after finishing ninth in the Western Conference last season with a 46-36 record.

DeRozan travelled to Sacramento on Saturday to meet with team officials and Kings coach Mike Brown, who signed an offseason contract extension. Brown led the franchise to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2006.

The Orlando Magic have locked up one of their young core players for the foreseeable future by reportedly agreeing to a five-year, $224 million extension with forward Franz Wagner.

ESPN reports Wagner's new deal, which will begin during the 2025-26 season and runs through 2029-30, could be worth up to $269 million should he make an All-NBA team.

Wagner, the eighth overall pick of the 2021 draft, has been a mainstay in the Magic's starting lineup since his rookie season while quickly developing into a cornerstone two-way player. The 22-year-old has averaged 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 0.96 steals while starting all 231 of his career games.

The native German set career highs in points (19.7), rebounds (5.3) and assists (3.7) per game this past season.

Wagner's emergence and the play of 2022 No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero were major factors towards the Magic winning 47 games in 2023-24, the franchise's highest win total in a season since 2010-11, and returning to the play-offs following a three-year absence.

The former University of Michigan star's new max contract comes just days after the Magic re-signed his older brother, Moritz, to a reported two-year, $22 million deal.

He's also the first Magic player to receive a maximum extension on his rookie contract since Dwight Howard in 2007, though Banchero is expected to join that group when he becomes eligible next summer.

Wagner's extension continues what has been a busy free agent period for Orlando. The Magic previously pried coveted veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the Denver Nuggets on a three-year, $66 million deal and gave forward Jonathan Isaac a five-year, $84 million extension.

LeBron James will spend at least one more season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he'll be able to play alongside his son, after reportedly agreeing to a new contract on Wednesday.

ESPN reports James will sign a two-year, $104 million deal that includes a player option for the 2025-26 season as well as a no-trade clause.

The agreement allows the Lakers to have the first father-son pair of teammates in NBA history after the team selected Bronny James Jr. in the second round of last week's draft.

LeBron James, who turns 40 in December, will be entering his 22nd NBA season and seventh with the Lakers, and remains among the league's elite players even at his advanced age. The NBA's all-time leading scorer averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 71 games last season despite playing through a lingering left ankle injury for much of the campaign.

James was one of only three players, along with NBA MVP Luka Dončić and Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokić, to average at least 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists per game in 2023-24. 

The four-time MVP and NBA champion also achieved a pair of unprecedented feats last season, as he became the first player in league history to be named to 20 All-Star teams as well as the first to reach 40,000 career points. 

James won his fourth career NBA title by leading the Lakers to a championship during the COVID 19-affected 2019-20 season, and helped the club to a surprise run to the 2023 Western Conference finals. The Lakers were eliminated in the first round of this year's play-offs, however, after losing to the Nuggets in five games.

The Lakers took Bronny James with the 55th overall pick after he spent one season at the University of Southern California. The younger James suffered a frightening cardiac arrest during a practice session last summer, but was later medically cleared following a surgical procedure and appeared in 25 games for the Trojans.

Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman told reporters Monday that the team felt good about signing Donovan Mitchell to an extension.

A day later, the deal was done.

Mitchell agreed to a three-year, $150.3million contract extension with the Cavaliers on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

The 27-year-old had said previously that he is happy with the Cavaliers, and Altman said on Monday, he is "very, very much pro-Cleveland."

Mitchell's deal includes a player option, and was structured in a way to be favourable to both him and the Cavs.

It was reported that the extension is for three years instead of four years because in the 2027-28 season, Mitchell will have 10 years of service, and then is able to sign or be extended for 35 per cent of the salary cap. So, in July of 2026, he will be eligible to sign a four-year extension, with a projected max in 2027-28 at $65.5million.

The 13th overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft, Mitchell was acquired by Cleveland from the Utah Jazz shortly before the 2022-23 season.

A five-time All-Star, Mitchell averaged a team-high 26.6 points in 2023-24, as well as career highs of 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.84 steals. 

A left knee injury, however, limited him to 55 games, and a left calf strain forced him to sit out Cleveland's final two play-off games, as the Cavs were eliminated by the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. He had averaged 36.8 points on 51.9 per cent shooting, 6.4 rebounds and 5 assists in his previous five play-off games.

In seven pro seasons, he has career averages of 24.8 points, 4.3 boards and 4.6 assists.

A week after Cleveland was ousted, J.B. Bickerstaff was fired as coach, and the Cavs hired his replacement, Kenny Atkinson, on June 24.

The Boston Celtics continued to celebrate their 18th NBA championship by rewarding star forward Jayson Tatum with a record-breaking contract extension.

The Celtics and Tatum agreed to a five-year supermax extension worth nearly $314million, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

The contract is the largest in NBA history, with Tatum qualifying for a supermax deal by being voted to the All-NBA First Team in 2022-23.

Tatum’s deal is the latest in the Celtics’ effort to keep their championship core in place into the foreseeable future, despite a massive luxury tax bill.

Multiple media outlets reported that Boston and Derrick White agreed to a four-year, $126million extension earlier Monday.

Finals MVP Jaylen Brown signed a five-year, $286million extension last summer. Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday are both signed through at least the 2025-26 season.

Even before agreeing to Tatum’s extension, the Celtics were projected to be over the second apron luxury tax, which restricts roster transactions by the league’s highest-spending teams.

Tatum, 26, is already a five-time All-Star and has been voted to the All-NBA First Team in each of the last three seasons.

Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and a career-high 4.9 assists last season while leading the Celtics to a 64-18 record.

He has helped Boston to two NBA Finals appearances and has already played in 113 play-off games.

In 513 career regular-season games, Tatum averaged 23.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Klay Thompson was instrumental to the Golden State Warriors' dynasty.

The Dallas Mavericks are hoping he can help their franchise capture a second NBA title.

Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50million deal with the Mavericks on Monday, according to multiple sources.

The deal, which includes a player option, is part of a multi-team sign-and-trade that sends Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets.

Thompson, a core member of the Warriors' four NBA championship teams over an eight-year span from 2014-22, now joins a Mavericks team that recently fell to the Boston Celtics in five games in the NBA Finals.

He'll team with All-NBA first-team selection Luka Doncic and eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, as the Mavericks will look to secure the franchise's first title since winning its only championship in 2011.

With Thompson moving to another Western Conference power, it marks an end of an era in Golden State, where the 34-year-old developed into one of the best players in franchise history.

The 11th overall pick of the 2011 draft by Golden State, Thompson's 2,481 made 3-pointers trail only long-time teammate Stephen Curry for the most by a Warriors player. He also ranks fourth in team history in games played (793) and sixth in points (15,531).

One of the most feared long-range shooters of his generation, he averaged a league-leading 4.4 made 3-pointers a game just one season ago in 2022-23.

He wasn't as effective this past season, however, as that average dropped to 3.5 3-pointers a game, and he shot 38.7 per cent from beyond the arc - just the second time in his career he failed to shoot 40 per cent or better from long range.

During his prime, though, he was among the best scorers in the NBA.

A five-time All-Star, Thompson averaged at least 20 points per game for five consecutive seasons from 2014-19 as a vital part of three NBA championship teams (2015, 2017, 2018) during that period.

He missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020–21 campaigns due to a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon, but returned to average 20.4 points in 32 games the following season and help Golden State to another NBA title.

His run of seven straight seasons averaging 20 or more points per game came to an end in 2023-24, when he averaged 17.9 points in 77 games. Midway through the season, he was moved out of the starting lineup for the first time since he was a rookie in 2012, coming off the bench in 14 games.

Derrick White was instrumental to the Boston Celtics securing this season's NBA championship and is being rewarded.

White agreed to a four-year, $125.9million contract extension with the Celtics on Monday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal includes a player option and marks a significant raise for White, whose last contract was a four-year, $70million extension signed back in 2020 with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Celtics acquired White, who turns 30 years old on Tuesday, from the Spurs at the 2022 trade deadline, and he was named to the NBA's All-Defensive second team in each of his first full two seasons in Boston.

The fearless defender came up with a clutch hustle play late in the first half of the Celtics' series-clinching Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, diving on the floor to secure a loose ball and chipping a tooth in the process. He had 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals in that victory as Boston captured its 18th NBA title.

White started all 19 games for the Celtics during their play-off run, averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He led Boston with 65 made 3-pointers in the play-offs, shooting 40.4 per cent from beyond the arc.

This came after he shot 39.6 per cent on 3-pointers during the regular season, with averages of 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 boards in 73 games.

Armed with three-time All-NBA first-team selection Jayson Tatum, fellow All-Star and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and White, the defending champion Celtics enter the 2024-25 season as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, but the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to knock them off their perch after acquiring Paul George on Monday, and teaming him with 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The Philadelphia 76ers have locked up one of the NBA's top young stars - and in the process have created their own version of a Big Three.

All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey agreed to a five-year, $204million maximum contract extension with the 76ers on Monday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal was reported hours after Philadelphia and nine-time All-Star Paul George agreed to a reported four-year, $212million maximum contract.

With 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, Maxey and George teaming up together, the 76ers will be looking to overtake the Eastern Conference from the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.

 Maxey, 23, is coming off a breakout year in his fourth pro season, averaging career highs of 25.9 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds while being named to his first All-Star team. He ranked 10th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game with an average of 3.0 and was named the league's Most Improved Player.

He stepped up his game in this year's play-offs, averaging 29.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 40.0 per cent from 3-point range, but the 76ers were eliminated in the first round by the New York Knicks in six games.

The Sixers have been one of the NBA's top teams during the regular season over the last several years, but have been unable to get over the hump in the play-offs.

The team has reached the play-offs in seven straight years but has failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.

Over the last seven seasons, Philadelphia has the NBA's fourth-highest winning percentage during the regular season (.625), but unlike the three teams that have achieved better records in that span - the Milwaukee Bucks (.656), Celtics (.650) and Denver Nuggets (.632) - the 76ers are without an NBA title.

While the Celtics are still the team to beat in the East, the 76ers' chances of dethroning them have seemingly improved with their recent signings.

Paul George has agreed to a four-year, $212million maximum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The deal, which was reported Monday by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, can't officially be signed until the NBA's moratorium on signings is lifted on Saturday.

The move to Philadelphia was reported by multiple sources Sunday after George informed the Los Angeles Clippers his plans to leave the team after five seasons. The nine-time All-Star declined a $48.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season on Saturday.

The addition of George to a 76ers team which already includes 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and fellow All-Star Tyrese Maxey, now makes Philadelphia a serious contender to compete with the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics for Eastern Conference supremacy. The 76ers also reached a deal with Maxey on Monday, giving the sharpshooter a five-year, $204million maxim contract extension.

Philadelphia has found post-season success to be elusive in recent seasons, as the 76ers have reached the play-offs in seven straight years but have failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.

Los Angeles, which had a Big Three of its own in George, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, also has a history of setbacks in the play-offs, losing in the first round each of the past two years while missing the post-season entirely in 2021-22.

The Clippers acquired George from Oklahoma City in July 2019 by orchestrating a blockbuster trade in which they gave the Thunder five first-round picks as well as future All-Star Shai GIlgeous-Alexander. Leonard signed with Los Angeles that same summer to help turn the Clippers into one of the Western Conference's more consistently successful teams, though their winning ways often did not extend to the post-season.

George often battled injuries - his 74 games played this past season were his most in any of his five seasons in Los Angeles - but maintained an elite level of play when healthy. The 34-year-old averaged 23 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during his tenure with the Clippers while shooting just under 40 per cent from 3-point range.

Paul George has informed the Los Angeles Clippers he will be joining another team, with the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly the leading candidate to land the coveted free agent.

The Clippers released a statement Sunday saying they were informed by George and his representatives of his plans to leave the team after five seasons. The nine-time All-Star declined a $48.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season on Saturday.

According to The Athletic, George will meet with the 76ers on Sunday night and is expected to make a decision shortly thereafter, with no other teams believed to be involved in the bidding for the veteran forward.

“Paul has informed us that he is signing his next contract with another team,” the Clippers announced. "Paul is a tremendous talent and an elite two-way player. We feel fortunate for the five years we spent with him.

We negotiated for months with Paul and his representative on a contract that would make sense for both sides, and we were left far apart. The gap was significant. We understand and respect Paul’s decision to look elsewhere for his next contract. We explored an opt-in and trade scenario, but it would have left us in a similar position under the new CBA, with very little asset value to justify the restrictions.

“We will miss Paul. At the same time, we’re excited by the opportunities we’ve now been afforded, including greater flexibility under the new CBA.

ESPN reports George was seeking a four-year extension and the Clippers were unwilling to budge beyond a contract similar to the three-year, $152 million deal the team awarded to fellow star Kawhi Leonard in January.

The Clippers acquired George from Oklahoma City in July 2019 by orchestrating a blockbuster trade in which they gave the Thunder five first-round picks as well as future All-Star Shai GIlgeous-Alexander. Leonard signed with Los Angeles that same summer to help turn the Clippers into one of the Western Conference's more consistently successful teams, though their winning ways often did not extend to the post-season.

Los Angeles reached the West finals during the 2021 play-offs but was ousted in six games by the Phoenix Suns, and the Clippers have not advanced past the first round in any of the last three seasons.

George often battled injuries - his 74 games played this past season were his most in any of his five seasons in Los Angeles - but maintained an elite level of play when healthy. The 34-year-old averaged 23 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during his tenure with the Clippers while shooting just under 40 per cent from 3-point range.

Armed with ample cap space, the 76ers are well positioned to make a big splash this off-season and potentially pair George with two other All-Stars, 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and sharpshooter Tyrese Maxey, in an effort to challenge reigning NBA champion Boston in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia has also found post-season success to be elusive in recent seasons, as the 76ers have reached the play-offs in seven straight years but have failed to advance beyond the second round during that period.

Klay Thompson's long and successful tenure with the Golden State Warriors appears to be nearing an end, as ESPN reported Sunday that the five-time All-Star guard will test free agency and is unlikely to re-sign with the team he's spent his entire NBA career with.

Thompson, a core member of the Warriors' four NBA championship teams over an eight-year span from 2014-22, is expected to hold meetings with the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers in the coming days, according to ESPN.

The Athletic adds that the Warriors have begun discussions on sign-and-trade agreements involving the star sharpshooter.

Golden State has also parted ways with another esteemed veteran, as the Warriors officially placed guard Chris Paul on waivers in a move that will save the team $30 million towards next season's salary cap.

The Warriors had until Sunday to decide whether to guarantee Paul's $30 million salary for 2024-25.

Paul turned 39 in May and spent just one injury-plagued season with the Warriors after being acquired from Washington last summer in a trade that sent high-scoring guard Jordan Poole to the Wizards. The 12-time All-Star averaged 9.2 points, the lowest of his 19-year NBA career, and 6.8 assists over 58 games while missing nearly two months with a fractured hand.

Thompson, on the other hand, developed into one of the best players in franchise history after being selected by the Warriors with the 11th overall pick of the 2011 draft.

The 34-year-old's 2,481 made 3-pointers trail only long-time teammate Stephen Curry for the most by a Warriors player, and Thompson also ranks fourth in team history in games played (793) and sixth in points (15,531).

One of the best perimeter shooters of this era, Thompson averaged at least 20 points per game for five consecutive seasons from 2014-19 as a vital part of three NBA championship teams (2015, 2017, 2018) during that period.

Thompson missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020–21 campaigns due to a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon, but returned to average 20.4 points in 32 games the following season and help Golden State to another NBA title.

His run of seven straight seasons averaging 20 or more points per game came to an end in 2023-24, when he averaged 17.9 points in 77 games and shot under 40 per cent from 3-point range for just the second time in his career.

Paul reportedly intends to play a 20th season as he continues his search for the first NBA title of his illustrious career, and the veteran is expected to draw interest as a role player for contending teams.

While the Los Angeles Clippers wait for a decision from one of their star players, another will be returning.

Multiple outlets reported Sunday that the Clippers and James Harden agreed to a two-year, $70 million contract just prior to the start of the NBA's free agency period.

The second year of the deal will be a player option, according to Yahoo Sports.

Harden returns for his first full season in Los Angeles after being acquired by the Clippers from the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 1. Playing alongside the also-accomplished duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the 10-time All-Star averaged 16.6 points and 8.5 assists while shooting 38.1 per cent from 3-point range over 72 regular-season games.

The 2017-18 NBA MVP helped the Clippers to a 51-31 record and the fourth seed in the Western Conference play-offs, though Los Angeles was ousted in six games by the eventual NBA Finals participant Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

Harden's re-signing brings some stability to what could be an uncertain offseason for the Clippers, as ESPN reported Saturday that George has declined his $48.7 million player option for next season to test free agency.

George is planning to meet with the 76ers and Orlando Magic in addition to the Clippers in the coming days, according to ESPN.

Harden is coming off a turbulent offseason of his own following a very public falling out with the 76ers and general manager Daryl Morey last summer, which prompted the 34-year-old to request a trade. After sitting out the early part of last season, Harden eventually had his request granted when Morey dealt the disgruntled point guard to the Clippers, his preferred destination, in a seven-player trade.

Though the three-time NBA scoring champion posted his lowest points-per-game output since 2010-11 last season, he averaged 21.2 points per game during the Dallas play-off series and the Clippers went 46-26 with him on the court during the regular season. 

J. B. Bickerstaff helped transform a fledgling franchise into a contender in his last job.

The Pistons are hoping he can do the same in Detroit.

The Pistons hired Bickerstaff as coach on Sunday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Terms of the deal were not reported.

Bickerstaff becomes Detroit's third coach in as many seasons after Monty Williams was fired on June 19 after going an NBA-worst 14-68 in only season on the sidelines.

The Pistons had given Williams a six-year, $78.5million contract last June after he was fired by the Phoenix Suns following the 2022-23 season.

At the time, the deal was the richest ever for an NBA head coach.

Under Williams, however, Detroit struggled mightily, setting an NBA single-season record by losing 28 straight games after opening 2-1.

The Pistons have finished in last place in the Central Division each of the last four seasons and have missed the play-offs 13 of the last 15 seasons. They haven't won a play-off series since 2008.

Detroit is desperate for a change in direction having been in turmoil for more than a decade, and Bickerstaff recently helped turn a struggling franchise around, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first play-off series win in six years last month.

Despite reaching the second round of the play-offs, the Cavaliers fired Bickerstaff on May 23.

In five seasons in Cleveland, Bickerstaff went 170-159 and led the franchise to the play-offs each of the last two years. He was under contract through 2026.

In 2023-24, the 45-year-old Bickerstaff helped direct Cleveland to a 48-34 record and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference play-offs.

The Cavs then beat the Orlando Magic in the first round for the franchise's first play-off series win since the team lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals. It also marked Cleveland's first trip to the conference semi-finals without LeBron James on the roster since 1992-93.

The Cavs' season ended in the conference semis, where they lost to the future NBA-champion Boston Celtics in five games.

Bickerstaff's team, however, was significantly undermanned with five-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell missing the final two games against the Celtics with a left calf strain and fellow All-Star Jarrett Allen missing the last eight play-off games due to a right rib contusion.

Bickerstaff now joins a young Pistons team that includes 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and the fifth overall pick of this year's draft, Ron Holland II.