Pistons New Adviser Targets Head Coach, Plans Front Office Reshaping

The Detroit Pistons are set to officially announce the hiring of former Memphis executive Ed Stefanski as their senior basketball adviser. He will work to reshape the front office, including reviewing the General Manager’s position, and developing a transition plan to include both a President of Basketball Operations and a head coach; positions that were both held by former head coach Stan Van Gundy. Stefanski said that their top candidate at the head coaching position is former Toronto Raptors head coach Dewayne Casey. Back in 2011, Stefanski was part of the executive team that hired Casey in Toronto. League sources close to the team told ESPN that Stefanski may look to hire a young up and coming player in another team’s front office, such as Nets’ assistant GM Trajan Langdon, Memphis front office assistant and former Piston Tayshaun Prince, and NBA Analyst Brent Barry.

Stefanski also has six degrees of separation with Detroit. As an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, he played under Chuck Daly. He has served in multiple front-office roles, including the Brooklyn Nets franchise that reached the NBA Finals, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Toronto Raptors.