• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Front Office Sports Honors winners are here! View the 2025 winners

NBA Postmortem: A Record Salary, Major Investment … and For What?

  • The Pistons and Wizards made big financial moves last summer.
  • They ended up with the fewest wins in the league this season.
Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a little easier to buy a few wins in professional basketball than it is in a sport like, say, football. And last summer, one NBA team handed out the most expensive head coach contract in league history while another received a landmark investment for major American sports franchises. And the results? Historically bad performances on the court and the two worst records during the regular season, which ended on Sunday.

Money Can’t Buy Everything

After the Pistons finished the 2022–23 season with the NBA’s worst record, Detroit owner Tom Gores opened up his wallet to bring in Monty Williams, who signed a six-year, $78.5 million contract that at the time was the largest for an NBA coach. (The Spurs’ Greg Popovich and the Heat’s Eric Spoelstra have since passed Williams’s deal in total value.) Meanwhile, the Wizards’ parent company, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, sold a 5% minority stake in the organization to the Qatar Investment Authority last offseason for $200 million, representing the first time a sovereign wealth fund had invested in a franchise from one of the top four U.S. leagues.

But as the playoffs get underway, Detroit and Washington are staring up at the rest of the league. The Pistons again finished with the worst record in the NBA, at 14-68, which is tied for the 12th-worst win percentage in league history. The Wizards were only one win better at 15-67, the worst season in franchise history. 

Time to Reinvest?

Along the way, Detroit endured the longest losing streak in NBA history (which actually led to some positive business for one local vendor) and is now searching for a new president of basketball operations to oversee general manager Troy Weaver and the pricey Williams. 

In Washington, D.C., as the Wizards lost game after game, owner Ted Leonsis tried, unsuccessfully, to move the team, as well as his Washington Capitals, to a new $2 billion arena in Alexandria, Va. In the end, Monumental reached a deal with D.C. officials to stay and renovate Capital One Arena, and the Wizards are searching for a new head coach after Wes Unseld Jr., who was said to be making $7 million per season, was fired just a few months after the team picked up his fourth-year option for the 2024–25 season.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Malik Beasley

Malik Beasley Could Still Be Charged in Gambling Probe Despite Feds Dropping..

Beasley’s lawyer is hoping his client can return to the NBA.
Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore

Timberwolves Lay Off Dozens After A-Rod, Lore Take Over

Rodriguez and Lore took over the Wolves and Lynx in June.

NBC’s MLB Chase Built on Vision for Yearlong Sunday Night Sports

NBC Sports is gunning for a Sunday night slate rivaling “The Sopranos.”
Miami Heat logo

Former Heat Security Guard Pleads Guilty to Stealing Team Memorabilia

Prosecutors say he stole game-worn jerseys and sold them online for millions.

Featured Today

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.
Monica Wright

WNBA Expansion Teams Still in Dark As CBA Fight Drags On

Portland and Toronto won’t know the draft rules until a CBA is signed.
August 22, 2025

$2B A’s Vegas Stadium Hits Milestones, on Track for 2028

Construction progress and costs pick up in the Las Vegas project.
August 25, 2025

Trey Hendrickson Ends Stalemate for $14 Million Bengals Raise

The defensive end will make $30 million this season.
Sponsored

Building A Pro League From Scratch

Front Office Sports and Gainbridge® spotlight what it takes to build a professional women’s soccer league.
August 21, 2025

Amid Dream Season, Valkyries Face Potential Playoff Arena Conflict

The Valkyries are seventh in the WNBA standings.
August 20, 2025

Yankees TV Ratings Swing Up 5% From 2024, 12% Higher Than Mets

The club’s local viewership improves, due largely to surges in streaming.
Bay FC
August 20, 2025

Bay FC Set to Break NWSL Attendance Record in San Francisco

NWSL players have often resisted playing at baseball stadiums.
August 19, 2025

Rockies Are No Longer on Record-Setting Path to Rock Bottom

The MLB club’s play improves considerably.