The Detroit Pistons revealed on Monday that Joe Dumars has stepped down as the team's president of basketball operations, effective immediately.
The Pistons indicated they will launch a search for a new head of basketball operations, with Dumars acting in an advisory role to the organization's ownership. They may need a new general manager to replace Dumars, too, as it is unclear if a new hire would assume both roles.
Owner Tom Gores released a statement via the team:
Joe Dumars is a great champion who has meant so much to this franchise and this community. We are turning the page with great respect for what he has accomplished not only as a player and a front office executive, but as a person who has represented this team and the NBA with extraordinary dignity.
Dumars took over the reins in Detroit prior to the 2000-01 season, eventually winning Executive of the Year in 2002-03 and building a championship team in 2003-04. For six straight years, the Pistons advanced at least as far as the conference finals, but his tenure has been marred by bad contracts and poor performance since roughly 2008.