New favorite emerging for Pistons head coach?

Speed finger painter, Jarred Emerson, unveils the new Detroit Pistons logo on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at Campus Martius Park in Detroit. Mandatory Credit: Elaine Cromie, Detroit Free Press

The last remaining head coaching vacancy in the NBA may be getting filled in short order.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Monday that current New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego will now become a prominent candidate in the coaching search of the Detroit Pistons. Wojnarowski notes that Borrego has worked with Trajan Langdon, the former GM of the Pelicans and now the new lead executive of the Pistons.

Borrego, 46, was a leading option for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching jobs. But both of those positions have since gone to different candidates (with Cleveland’s job going to a former NBA champion assistant earlier in the day Monday). That could clear the way for Borrego to get the Pistons job.

Detroit is looking for a new head coach after firing Monty Williams just one year into a monster six-year, $78.5 million contract (with Williams having gone a franchise-worst 14-68 this past season).

Borrego, formerly the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018-22, has plenty of experience coaching rebuilding teams and may end up heing the Pistons’ guy here.