All has been quiet on the Detroit Pistons sale front lately. The last thing we heard was that Mike Ilitch was possibly back in the mix following the end of Tom Gores' exclusivity period. Since then there hasn't been much activity that has been reported on, but it looks like things may be moving forward behind the scenes. From CBS Sports' Ken Berger:
Word in league circles is that negotiations to sell the Pistons to billionaire Tom Gores are far enough along to expect the matter to come to a vote by the Board of Governors April 14-15 in New York. League approval will be a welcome development for the organization, whose basketball operations department was paralyzed by the proposed sale. The Pistons are one of a handful of teams not to complete a single roster transaction this season.
If true, this would be great news all-around for the Pistons. Assuming the vote goes as planned, Gores could become the team's new owner in a matter of weeks, allowing the franchise to finally move forward under new leadership.
For team president Joe Dumars and head coach John Kuester, this could be the end of their time with the Pistons if Gores becomes the new owner, according to Steve Kyler of Hoops World.
While current Pistons' president Joe Dumars has never been on the hot seat under current ownership, there is a growing sense that Gores will look to clean house once he owns the team and that could mean that both Joe Dumars and current head coach John Kuester could be out this summer as Gores looks to take the team in a new direction and give it a fresh start.
I've been ready for a fresh start for months now. As great of a job Dumars has done in the past, I do think it's time for somebody else to step in, and it looks like that could end up happening if Gores takes over the team.
(Via MLive's Chris Iott)