Will Monty Williams make $65 million despite firing from Pistons? Closer look at veteran coach's contract

Veteran coach Monty Williams was reportedly fired by the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday just one year after signing a massive six-year, $78.5 million contract. Despite what was, at the time, a historic contract, the Pistons have now let Williams go after just one season.

Although the team once again struggled to perform this season, winning just 14 of their 82 games, Williams' departure is certainly surprising.

In addition to the fact that Williams had just finished his first season as the Pistons' coach, the remaining $67.5 million left on his deal is guaranteed. This means that despite being fired, the Pistons will still owe the veteran coach the remaining amount.

At the same time, the franchise will be looking for a replacement coach for Williams. It's unclear if they will be able to do so before the first night of the draft on June 26, or if their coaching search will take up a larger portion of their offseason.

Although having a coach isn't necessarily a must by draft night, as the Pistons head into draft night and free agency, having a coach would provide clarity to new players. Of course, unless the team has been working behind the scenes, interviewing and finalizing a coaching hire is likely to take several weeks.

Looking at the reasoning behind Monty Williams' firing

Monty Williams' firing after just one season came as a surprise to many fans, however, there were indications that the front office wasn't happy with the veteran coach. Most notably, during the regular season, Williams was questioned about Jaden Ivey's lack of usage.

With standout point guard Cade Cunningham out, many believed that Monty Williams' failure to utilize Ivey in a larger role was both strange and problematic. The situation was raised by the Detroit Pistons front office, who had a meeting with Williams about Ivey's usage in January.

Monty Williams then responded by playing Ivey 28 minutes in a Jan. 12 game against the Houston Rockets. Despite struggling from downtown, shooting just 1-6, he put up 18 points along with eight assists.

After the game, Williams opened up about the situation while speaking with media members:

"We had a big meeting yesterday as an organization, and we looked at the numbers. All of our players, from a roster analysis standpoint, and that's the one thing I haven't tried this year that everyone was somewhat curious about. I had to eat it. I was like, 'well I haven't done it, and l've gotta at least give him a shot.'"

With Williams now a free agent, it will be interesting to see whether he draws interest from teams like the LA Lakers in the weeks to come. Given that he had a successful stint with the Phoenix Suns prior to taking the Pistons coaching job, it seems likely that he will garner some interest from teams around the league.