DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons fired coach Michael Curry on Tuesday as the team started rebuilding from an unpopular trade, a sub-.500 record and an embarrassing first-round exit from the playoffs that ended its six-year streak of making it to the conference finals.
The Pistons went 39-43 and were swept in the postseason in four lopsided losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Joe Dumars, the team’s president for basketball operations, said after that series that Curry would return, but changed his mind about the fate of his former Pistons teammate.
“This was a difficult decision to make,” Dumars said in a statement. “I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change.”
Pistons spokesman Kevin Grigg said the timetable for naming a new coach was up in the air.
“Obviously with the free agency period starting tomorrow (Wednesday), we don’t know quite the speed of it,” Grigg said.
Another ex-Pistons player and former Dumars teammate, Bill Laimbeer, stepped down in June as coach of the WNBA’s Detroit Shock, saying he wanted a shot at coaching in the NBA. Laimbeer did not immediately respond to an e-mail message seeking comment.
The Pistons began the season with big hopes but couldn’t recover from the loss of All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups in a November trade to Denver for Allen Iverson — a move intended to feature Iverson’s creativity and create time for emerging guard Rodney Stuckey.
Instead, the Pistons fell apart. They won just three games in February and three in April, plummeting to the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff seeding and a no-win matchup with LeBron James and the Cavs.
The playoff series loss ended a dominant run: The Pistons and the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers are the only franchises to play in six straight conference finals since 1970-71, when teams had to win two series to advance that far.
Immediately after the season, Dumars defended Curry.
“It was an up-and-down season for him,” Dumars said then. “And, an up-and down-season for us. … The fact that we made so many changes for a first-year coach, I had to step back and be a little more patient than I have been. … I tried to put myself in his shoes.”
Curry did not return a cell phone message Tuesday. In January, he said he expected to be held responsible for the team’s fortunes.
“It’s part of the job,” he said. “When you lose, it’s the coach’s fault. When you win, the players get the praise.”
Dumars last week started rebuilding the roster. The Pistons may very well part with unrestricted free agents Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess, and they picked up forwards Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko in last week’s draft.
Last year, Dumars fired coach Flip Saunders after he led the team to the conference finals in each of his three seasons. Curry was an assistant under Saunders for one season.
The Pistons also parted ways with Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown in 2005 after he helped them win a title and almost repeat during his two years with the team. Rick Carlisle was fired after two years with the Pistons following an conference finals appearance in his second season and NBA Coach of the Year honors in his first.
Curry, who played for the Pistons in 1995-1997 and 1999-2003, started his playing career as an undrafted free agent during the 1993-94 season in Philadelphia and ended during the 2004-05 season with the Indiana Pacers.
Near the end of his playing career, Curry headed the NBA players’ association, leading it from 2001-2003. He later served as the NBDL’s vice president for player development and the NBA’s vice president for basketball operations.
Curry averaged 4 1/2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 20 minutes a game over his career, which also included stints in Milwaukee, Toronto and Washington. His defense and leadership kept him in the league despite averaging less than seven points a season.
Krzyzewski: ‘I’m not going to the Lakers’
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski made it clear: He’s not going to ever be the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Krzyzewski held his annual summer meeting with reporters Tuesday, and one of the first topics he covered was talk that had him taking over the Los Angeles Lakers if Phil Jackson retires.
Krzyzewski said he is “not going to the Lakers” and that he won’t leave Duke “until I leave coaching.”
Krzyzewski, who guided the U.S. men’s basketball team to the gold medal at the Beijing Games, also said the coach for the 2012 Olympics will be announced on July 21 in Las Vegas.
Clippers extend qualifying offer to Novak
LOS ANGELES — The Clippers have extended a qualifying offer to forward Steve Novak, making him a restricted free agent.
Los Angeles also announced Tuesday that guard Ricky Davis has exercised his contract option for the 2009-10 season and forward Brian Skinner has decided not to exercise his option for the upcoming season, which makes him an unrestricted free agent.
The Clippers also decided not to exercise their team option on guard Alex Acker.
Novak averaged 6.9 points and shot 42 percent from 3-point range in 71 games last season, his third in the NBA.
Under league rules, the Clippers had until Tuesday to make a qualifying offer to Novak. As a restricted free agent, he may sign an offer sheet with any team, but the Clippers can match.
Former Bulls star’s home in foreclosure
BURR RIDGE, Ill. — Court records show that former Chicago Bulls player Eddy Curry’s suburban Chicago mansion is in foreclosure.
It’s the same home where Curry was bound and robbed in 2007. He now plays for the New York Knicks.
Documents show that Curry was more than $217,000 behind on his $3.7 million mortgage as of Friday. Records reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times show that Curry and his wife, Patrice, took the 30-year mortgage out in July 2003 to buy the home. A court filing says the Currys’ initial interest rate on the home loan was 9.25 percent with a monthly payment of $28,675.
Curry’s attorneys did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday.
Pacers make Jack restricted free agent
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers have made qualifying offers to point guard Jarrett Jack and forward Josh McRoberts, making them restricted free agents.
Jack’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, said Tuesday that his client has enjoyed playing for the Pacers. The Pacers announced the offers in a news release.
Jack averaged a career-high 13.1 points per game last season while sharing the starting job with T.J. Ford. Team president Larry Bird said at the end of the season that he wanted to make the offer to Jack, but said as the draft approached the right point guard could make Jack expendable. The Pacers did draft Connecticut’s A.J. Price last week.
McRoberts averaged 2.4 points per game last season.
Free agents can begin negotiating with teams on Wednesday.
Finley tells Spurs he plans to play 15th season
SAN ANTONIO — Veteran guard Michael Finley has told the Spurs he plans to return for another season.
The 36-year-old Finley held the option on his contract for the 2009-10 season, which will be his fifth in San Antonio. The team announced Finley’s decision Tuesday.
Finley finished his 14th season with averages of 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 81 games. He shot a career-best 41 percent from 3-point range.
Among active players, Finley is fourth in games with 1,057 and fifth in 3-pointers with 1,422. He has career averages of 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3 assists.
Finley played nine seasons in Dallas after starting his career in Phoenix.
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