Dwane Casey steps down as Pistons coach, will join front office

CHICAGO (AP)— Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey stepped down after Sunday’s103-81 loss to the Chicago Bulls to end the 2022-23 season.

Casey willmove to a role in the franchise’s front office.

The Pistonsended the season with an NBA-worst 17-65 mark and missed thepostseason for the fourth straight year.

“Hopefully mylegacy will be will building the foundation with these young guys,”said Casey, a former NBA coach of the year in Toronto. “When youbring in a young team, this league is not very forgiving in termsof wins and losses. I knew that coming in.”

Casey guidedthe team to the playoffs in his first season in Detroit but thestart of a rebuilding project the following season left Detroitnear the Eastern Conference’s basement. The franchise selected CadeCunningham after winning the 2021 NBA draft lottery but his secondseason lasted just 12 games before he was sidelined by shinsurgery.

"Thingschanged, health changed and we took it down to the studs,” Caseysaid of the team’s rebuild after making the 2018-19 playoffs with aveteran group that included Blake Griffin.

Casey was theleague’s coach of the year in 2018 after his seventh and finalseason in Toronto. He helped the Raptors to six straight playoffappearances before giving way to Nick Nurse, who coached thefranchise to the 1989 NBA title.

His headcoaching career began with a two-season stint in Minnesota.