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As is common when there is staff changeover, there has been a lot of discussion about a new path and a clean slate with the Detroit Pistons lately. It started when it became clear that longtime president of basketball operations Joe Dumars would not see his contract renewed and culminated with the hiring of Stan Van Gundy as both president and head coach.
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But more and more it seems like it is more than just words, as owner Tom Gores seems to finally be putting his stamp on his franchise. The latest break from the past is media reports from Vincent Goodwill and others that former Pistons great Isiah Thomas is working to buy a minority ownership stake in the team who hangs his jersey from the rafters.
Goodwill reports that the size of the stake would not be "a ceremonial piece, but a respectable piece." He also reports that Thomas was posied to buy into the franchise shortly after he retired before having a fallout with owner Bill Davidson.
Davidson instead seemed to freeze Thomas out and No. 11 hasn't had much to do with the franchise since his playing days ended. But Gores has been keen to bring Thomas back in the fold and let bygone be bygones.
It's also a step the NBA would probably like to see as the league is still dealing with the fallout from the racist remarks of Los Angeles Clippers owner becoming public and a the spotlight being shined on a league whose players are predominately black but with few minorities having full or even a piece of one of its 30 franchises.
"Thomas has an indelible connection to the Detroit community, and Gores' group isn't averse to letting someone in, especially someone familiar with the local terrain," Goodwill writes.
Any deal would have to be approved by Platinum Equity's partners and the NBA, but it seems like everyone has an interested in bringing Thomas back into the fold as an official member of the Pistons family.
H/T to DBBer XstreamINsanity who had everything first by willingly listening to Stephen A. Smith on First Take. He is a stronger person than I.