HoopsHype.com Rumors

Chris Mannix: Lawrence Frank, Collins coach for years in NJ, calls any potential locker room issues with Collins "non-issues." Twitter

Washington Wizards, Lawrence Frank, Jason Collins 

Jeff Van Gundy: "Detroit Pistons basketball slogan: When the going gets tough, we fire the coach. It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. You know what surprises me, Chris? These new owners in Detroit have to be exceedingly bright to have made as much money as they have. And to be duped again that your G.M. tells you that the roster is good and the coach is bad ... They run through coaches and they haven't even begun to address their problem." Deadline Detroit

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank, Jeff Van Gundy, Tom Gores 

Jeff Van Gundy: "The most important player or person in any organization is the person that picks the players. But we don't, as organizations, examine them. We just take the easy way out time and time again. You lose, the G.M. convinces the owner 'We got good players. It's the coach's fault.' We fire the coach; we bring a new coach in; we continue to lose. We fire that coach, saying that 'We have better players.' It just goes on and on. It's typical and I can't believe that the Detroit owners fell for it. I just can't believe it." Deadline Detroit

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Joe Dumars, Lawrence Frank, Jeff Van Gundy, Tom Gores 

Steve Bulpett: Lawrence Frank not joining C's, but will visit occasionally. Doug Collins still under PHI contract, but may be a Doc guest. Twitter @SteveBHoop

Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Coaching, Lawrence Frank, Doug Collins 

Gary Washburn: Don't be surprised that if possible the #celtics bring Lawrence Frank in for playoffs as consultant as they did with Flip Saunders last year Twitter @GwashNBAGlobe

Boston Celtics, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

Marc Stein: Story going online now: Pistons have notified Lawrence Frank that won't be retained as coach. Link on way momentarily Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

The Pistons will not retain Lawrence Frank as head coach for next season, the team announced Thursday. “We thank Lawrence for his hard work and dedication, but we feel it is in the best interest of the franchise to make a change at this time,” said president of basketball operations Joe Dumars. “Decisions like this are never easy and we wish Lawrence well in the future.” CBSSports.com

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

A meeting Thursday with Pistons owner Tom Gores finally confirmed Frank's ouster, after Gores offered very tepid public support of his coach when speaking to local reporters earlier this week. Frank was believed to be largely Gores' choice to replace John Kuester in the summer of 2011, although NBA coaching sources maintain that Pistons president Joe Dumars preferred current Knicks coach Mike Woodson for the job. ESPN.com

Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Coaching, Joe Dumars, Lawrence Frank, Tom Gores 

Jarrod Rudolph: Sources: Lawrence Frank out as Pistons coach. Official announcement expected this afternoon. Twitter @JRudolphSports

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

Marc Stein: Consistent word in coaching circles: L-Frank already knows fate but won't be officially notified until he meets today with owner Tom Gores Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

Pistons coach Lawrence Frank wants his fourth-year option picked up before agreeing to stay on or a third season -- a plea motivated not by negotiating tactics, but something much more serious. Frank's wife has been ill, and league sources say he is reluctant to make the personal commitment of being away from his family when he's needed without a commitment from the team. The situation with Rick Adelman in Minnesota probably will take a couple of weeks to sort out, league sources say. Adelman's wife also has been ill, and the 1,000-win coach is expected to wait for a new round of medical tests before making decision on whether to coach next season. CBSSports.com

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

With his brief tenure rapidly reaching a crossroads, Detroit Pistons coach Lawrence Frank informed owner Tom Gores that he shouldn't be retained for the third year of his contract unless the franchise is willing to guarantee the deal's fourth-year team option, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

Within the organization, Frank has been insistent that the Pistons' full-blown rebuilding project and recent instabilities in the head coaching position make it largely unworkable for him to return as a lame-duck coach for the 2013-14 season. Yahoo! Sports

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

He won't have to take any more questions from the media about his job status. He knows it's out of his hands, and he can only hope that team owner Tom Gores shows patience and gives him a third season on the Pistons' bench. "Unfortunately, it's been too long a talk for too long," Frank said when asked if it crossed his mind that Wednesday might have marked his final moments as Pistons coach. "It's been going on for awhile, so it's not like this just jumped up and it's news flash. "Because you have to answer the question every day, it's something you do give some thought to." Detroit Free Press

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

Vincent Goodwill: Frank on speculation of firing: "Unfortunately it's been too long a talk for too long. It's been going on for awhile. It's not a newsflash." Twitter @vgoodwill

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

"But do I want to be back? Of course, because this is what you signed up for. You want to be part of reshaping the franchise and getting it back to where it was. Previously, really, there wasn't a lot of flexibility. Now there is. But at the end of the day, that's ownership's call, and we're respectful of the fact that we understand the employer-employee agreement. But we all want to be back." Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

There also were a couple of real heartbreaks, none greater than the Pistons' other visit to Barclays Center this season, when Joe Johnson's buzzer-beating 3-pointer over Prince's close-out defense gave the Nets a 107-105 win in double overtime on Dec. 14. "Sometimes, the difference between winning 29 games, or 37 wins, is some of those games going the other way," Frank said. "Every year's a little bit different. There may be years when you win virtually every close game and you've maxed out. And other years, other way, and now it's minus five or six wins." Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Lawrence Frank 

Gores said he met Sunday with both Frank and president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, "so it's very, very clear, coming from me," that he is not happy with the results of a 28-52 season with two games remaining. "Lawrence is a tremendous guy," Gores said. "I've gotten to know him a little bit the last couple years and he's a tremendous guy. But I have to worry about this franchise and what is the best thing to do." Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Joe Dumars, Lawrence Frank 

Gores, asked if he has made a decision on Dumars, Frank, or both, said he is "here assessing them, and my job is to move this franchise forward." Asked if the decision on Frank would be his, or if Dumars would be involved, assuming the latter is retained, Gores said it "will be a discussion -- I have to be involved because I'm taking care of this franchise." Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Joe Dumars, Lawrence Frank 

By all accounts, Lawrence Frank has two more games to coach the Detroit Pistons. Frank is expected to be among at least six head coaches out of work after the season. Houston associate head coach Kelvin Sampson is already being whispered as a serious candidate for a couple of them. Racine Journal-Times

Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Coaching, Lawrence Frank, Kelvin Sampson