By: Dustin Chapman

• Selected D.J. White 29th overall and traded his rights to Seattle for the rights to Walter Sharpe (32nd overall) and Trent Plaisted (46th overall).

• Selected Deron Washington 59th overall.

Detroit didn’t necessarily impress anyone in this draft. Nothing great, nothing horrible. They did, however, deal out of the 29th pick – avoiding the guaranteed contract they would have had to shell out had they stood pat. These three second round picks will battle for roster spots, and potentially places in the rotation. Plaisted may be the early favorite to earn minimal minutes, as the Pistons are currently thin at center. However, Sharpe’s potential could be the gem of the three.

Grade: C

Larry Lage of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Detroit Pistons have promoted Michael Curry to head coach, subsequently following last week’s firing of Flip Saunders.

The Pistons chose not to look far for their fifth coach in nine seasons.

Curry was on Saunders’ staff last season, his first as a coach, and he played with Dumars about a decade ago and with some current Pistons during the 2002-03 season.

He will make $2.5 million a season as part of a contract that includes three guaranteed years with the team holding an option for a fourth.

Assistant coach Dave Cowens, who also was on Saunders’ staff, will be retained. Coaches under contract with other teams are being considered for the remaining openings along with Pistons guard Lindsey Hunter if he retires.

“We’re going to be a staff that is going to be here from the summer until the end of the season and will be here for players to continue to develop and breaking down other teams in the league,” Curry said. “We’re going to be a hardworking staff from top to bottom.”

Posted By: Dustin Chapman

Contrary to the early-week reports that suggested that Flip Saunders would remain the head coach of the Detroit Pistons, Larry Lage reports that the organization has decided to part ways after all.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP)—Flip Saunders was fired as Detroit Pistons coach Tuesday, four days after his team was eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

President of basketball operations Joe Dumars said it’s “time for a new voice to lead our team.” Saunders had a year left on a four-year deal he signed in 2005. The decision comes three years after Saunders took over for Larry Brown, who led the Pistons to two straight NBA finals.

“Decisions like this are difficult to make, especially with the success we have had throughout the last three regular seasons,” Dumars said in a statement. “However, at this time, I feel it is necessary to make a change.”

A message left for Saunders was not immediately returned. Dumars was to speak Tuesday at the team’s practice facility.

Assistant coach Michael Curry appears to be the leading candidate to replace Saunders. Other possible candidates include Detroit assistant coach Terry Porter and former Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson.

In Saunders’ three seasons, the Pistons were 176-70 in the regular season and 30-21 in the postseason, but they lost in the Eastern Conference finals each year.

The Pistons have appeared in six straight conference finals, the first franchise to do so since the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s. But they also are the second team in league history to lose in the round before the NBA finals three years in a row, joining the Celtics from 1953-55.

Dumars decided a year ago to bring back key players who have been together since the 2004 championship season, as well as Saunders, while infusing energy with rookies and young reserves. But after the loss in Game 6 of the East finals to Boston on Friday, the likelihood of change grew.

Before coming to Detroit, Saunders was 411-326 with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 1995-05. He led them to eight straight postseason appearances — seven first-round exits and an appearance in the 2004 conference finals. After leading Minnesota to a franchise-high 58 wins, he was fired with a 25-26 mark in the 2004-05 season.

Sources tell Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski that assistant coach Michael Curry is expected to be Dumars’ choice to take over for Saunders.

Once again, Flip Saunders was unable to take a battle-tested team over the top. Of course, it is unfair to place all of the blame on his shoulders, as some of the players haven’t been living up to their end of the bargain either, but there’s got to be a point where accountability is appointed. It was time to move on.

What’s next? Who really knows, but keep your eyes open for a potential roster overhaul.

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Posted By: Dustin Chapman