The Detroit Pistons’ coaching bench is starting to take shape under new leadership by JB Bickerstaff. Luke Walton, who had head coaching stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, is being hired as the lead assistant in Detroit. Walton spent last year in Cleveland as an assistant coach under Bickerstaff. Walton had a 10-year playing career, nine of those seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, including falling in the 2004 NBA Finals to the Pistons. Shams Charania of The Athletic was first to break the news of Walton’s hiring.
The Pistons are also hiring Kevin Burleson as an assistant coach. If that name feels familiar, it should. Burleson is the older brother of former Detroit Lions fan favorite and prolific TV personality Nate Burleson. Kevin spent an 11-year playing career almost exclusively overseas before jumping into coaching about seven years ago.
He got his coaching career started as a player development coach for the Houston Rockets from 2014-17. He then was hired as an assistant with the Minnesota Wolves’ G League team. He then jumped to the NBA as an assistant in Memphis and then went back to Minnesota, this time as an assistant coach with the NBA club. Since 2022, Burleson has been the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, G League affiliate for the Rockets. The Vipers are one of the more respected development programs in the NBA.
Speaking of the G League, once the Pistons announced their Summer League roster, it was revealed that Jarrett Jack is remaining with the Pistons and will coach the Summer League team. Jack was hired last year as a member of Monty Williams’ staff.
A week ago, it was also reported that Sidney Lowe would also join Bickerstaff’s coaching staff with the Pistons. He also worked with Bickerstaff in Cleveland. This will be Lowe’s fourth tour of duty with the Pistons. He played in six games for the Pistons in 1984, then spent one season as an assistant under Flip Saunders in 2005-06. He returned to Detroit for the third time on Dwane Casey’s staff from 2018-21.
The Pistons also hired Fred Vinson, one of the NBA’s most respected shooting coaches, as an assistant coach before even hiring a head coach. Vinson spent more than 10 years as an assistant with the New Orleans Pelicans, including several years under Trajan Langdon.
We know a couple names won’t be returning to Detroit. Brian Adams, who was hired midseason to replace Dan Burke as a defensive coach, was hired by Alabama. James Edwards of The Athletic also reported that Stephen Silas, who was Williams’ lead assistant last season, will not be returning to the team.
The Pistons had nine coaches last year. Currently, we know of six — Bickerstaff, Walton, Lowe, Burleson, Jack, and Vinson. We don’t know how big the final coaching staff will be.