Opinion: Pistons Must Avoid Isiah Thomas as next General Manager

Joe Dumars still holds the title of Detroit Pistons general manager, but could another former Piston great, and Dumars’ teammate, soon be the next owner of that job?

In a season where playoffs were once a realistic expectation, the Pistons have underwhelmed the city of Detroit. The Pistons are 24-37 and are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

If Detroit fails to make the postseason, it would mark the fifth year in a row they have failed to do so and could ultimately cost Dumars his job.

According to a cbssports.com report, Dumars expects for him and the Pistons to part ways after this season.

Enter Isiah Thomas, the Hall of Fame point guard who brought years of success to the Motor City. The New York Daily News reported Saturday that Pistons owner Tom Gores is considering bringing in Thomas to be the team’s new general manager when Dumars is shown the door.

Thomas is known as one of the best Pistons of all-time, but he has struggled to put forth an attractive front office resume.

He became the owner of the short-lived Continental Basketball Association in 1998, but drove it into bankruptcy by 2000.

In 2003, he took over as the President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks, where he made several poor financial decisions such as signing Jared Jeffries to the full, mid-level exception.

After spending time during his tenure in New York coaching, as well as in management, Thomas became one of the Knicks’ all-time biggest villains. He was ultimately let go in 2008.

The Pistons definitely need to start fresh this upcoming offseason, but hiring Thomas is not the right move to lead Detroit back to the promised land.

Gores kept Dumars around when he first bought the team because Gores lacks basketball knowledge and Dumars was someone he could trust.

The idea of another Pistons legend running the team sounds appealing at first, but Thomas’ track record speaks for itself, and he would set this franchise back further than anyone could imagine.

Dumars, of course, could keep his job. But unless Detroit finishes the season on a magical run, Gores will be looking for a new general manager come June.

Impact Fun Fact: Isiah Thomas is so disliked in New York that Knicks fans boo Sacramento Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas (no relation) whenever his name is announced.


Cameron Billes is the host of Horsepower for Impact Sports.