Pistons extend Bickerstaff following series victor…
Jamal CollierMay 4, 2026, 05:00 PM ET Close Jamal Collier is an NBA reporter at ESPN. Collier covers the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and the Midwest region of the NBA, including stories such as Minnesota’s iconic jersey swap between Anthony Edwards and Justin Jefferson. He has been at ESPN since Sept. 2021 and previously covered…
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Jamal Collier
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The Detroit Pistons have signed coach J.B. Bickerstaff to a contract extension, the team announced Monday, one day after he led the franchise to its first playoff series victory since 2008.
Bickerstaff is in his second season after taking over for Monty Williams at the start of the 2024-25 campaign. Bickerstaff has recorded a 104-60 (.634) record during the regular season, leading the team to back-to-back playoff appearances and the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference this year.
The Pistons won 60 games during the regular season and overcame a 3-1 deficit in their first-round series against the Orlando Magic to advance with a 116-94 victory in Game 7 on Sunday.
Before Bickerstaff arrived, Detroit had finished with the worst record in the NBA for two consecutive seasons. The jump from 14 victories two seasons ago to 60 in 2025-26 is the largest win improvement across two campaigns in NBA history, according to ESPN Research.
The Pistons will host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East semifinals beginning Tuesday. Prior to joining the Pistons, Bickerstaff spent five seasons coaching the Cavs before he was fired at the end of the 2023-24 season.
