Pistons owner: Van Gundy's future to be discussed

Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores says he'll meet with head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy after the season to discuss Van Gundy's future with the franchise.

Gores spoke with reporters during halftime of the team's game against the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. His message: "We've got to make some changes."

"We're going to meet next week and discuss what's going on. At the same time, he's dedicated the last four years," Gores said. "Stan and I are partners, and there's no way I would make a decision without talking to Stan, and he's been really busy with the season. That's a decision Stan and I make.

"I can tell you this, that he's just an extremely dedicated man. I think he's been good for our franchise. That I know for sure."

Van Gundy is finishing his fourth season with the Pistons. He's led the team to a 151-176 record counting the loss to the Raptors on Monday. Detroit has only made the playoffs once during his tenure (2015-16) and was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.

This season, the Pistons are 38-43. They brought in star forward Blake Griffin in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers before the deadline but weren't able to push for the playoffs, losing 13 of 16 games in a stretch not long after adding Griffin.

"Blake has been a great addition, he's been a real leader," Gores said. "But I don't think I will take this small sample, these last 10, 12 games and make it our future."

Gores also noted the negative impact losing Reggie Jackson for an extended time to an ankle injury had but said it wasn't an excuse.

"Reggie got hurt and that's difficult, but people get hurt," Gores said. "Players get hurt during the season so we have to be prepared for that."

After this season, Van Gundy will have one year remaining on the five-year, $35 million contract he agreed to with the Pistons in 2014. Gores said he isn't leaning in any direction regarding the coach's future.

"We have been going about this for four years -- we haven't converted to wins," Gores said. "But he's really worked hard. We're just going to meet and see how we feel."

--Field Level Media