Vince Ellis | Detroit Free Press

Vince Ellis and Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press

David Richard, USA TODAY Sports

Dwane Casey had two options:

Relax for a year with family, collect $6.5 million for doing nothing and wait to rejoin the coaching fray.

Or jump at the opportunity to coach a roster he hopes is geared to win immediately — and start to soothe the pain after his abrupt firing nearly a month ago.

Casey, 61, picked Option No. 2, and the Detroit Pistons franchise is ecstatic to hire the man voted coach of the year by his peers this season.

The Pistons hired the former Toronto Raptors coach Monday afternoon. The contract is a five-year deal averaging $7 million per season with the opportunity for incentives, a source with firsthand knowledge of the process told the Free Press.

The deal is similar to the five-year, $35-million deal the Pistons reached with Stan Van Gundy in 2014.

An introductory news conference is not expected until next week. Casey plans to meet with players immediately in Los Angeles, where many of them have been training.

Casey will relax over the weekend to celebrate Father's Day — he is married with two children — and then will head to the Detroit area.

“I am excited and honored to join the Detroit Pistons, a franchise with a championship history and a roster that is ready to win now,” Casey said in a news release. “(Pistons owner Tom Gores) really won me over with his vision for the team and the city. He clearly wants to deliver for the fans in Detroit and I believe in the strength of his leadership to do so.

“I’m confident that this team has the pieces in place to compete at a very high level. There is a lot of talent, a solid core and some exciting young players eager to get better. We’re getting to work right away on the things that will make us all successful.”

Wochit

The Pistons are turning to Casey to reverse the fortunes of a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2008. Gores fired Van Gundy on May 7, almost four weeks after the Pistons ended the regular season with a 39-43 record.

Van Gundy, who was team president and coach, missed the playoffs three out of his four seasons, including the past two.

“Dwane is one of the most successful and highly respected coaches in our league,” Gores said in the news release. “He’s a great communicator and a leader who will connect with our players and accelerate their growth. Having spent many hours with Dwane over the last few weeks, I’m confident he is the right person to get us to the next level.

“In our meetings he displayed great insight into what this roster can accomplish, and great passion about our city and the team’s role in bringing people together. He’s an outstanding man with impressive character. He embodies our culture and will be a great representative for our franchise.”

More Pistons news:

Casey was fired four days after Van Gundy despite leading the Raptors to a 59-23 record and earning the National Basketball Coaches Association’s coach of the year award. The 59 wins were a franchise record.

The firing came after Casey's top-seeded Raptors were swept in the Eastern Conference playoffs by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was the third straight season the Cavs ended the Raptors' championship hopes.

Casey, who was owed $6.5 million in the wake of his firing, molded the Raptors into an Eastern Conference power after taking over the franchise in 2011-12. He won four division titles and reached the playoffs the past five seasons.

His dismissal set off a wave of criticism on social media from NBA players. The outburst was not surprising.

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Photos: Meet new Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey

Casey is known for having strong relationships with players. He also brings a strong reputation for player development, something that will be stressed with youngsters Stanley Johnson, Luke Kennard and Henry Ellenson.

Casey beat out Michigan coach John Beilein and San Antonio Spurs assistant Ime Udoka for the job.

Beilein could have emerged as the hire if Casey wasn't available, despite having never coached in the NBA. But he bowed out and returned to Michigan when it was clear he was not the top choice. Udoka, who also interviewed for openings in Toronto and Orlando, has never been a head coach but is considered a rising star in the profession.

Casey looks like the safe choice.

He came into the process with lukewarm expectations based on questions of game management — questions that dogged him during his time with the Raptors.

But he blew the search team away and was prepared with detailed notes and video clips.

He carried the momentum into a June 5 meeting in Los Angeles with Gores.

With the trio of Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, the organization believes it has the foundation of a team capable of excelling next season — if players remain healthy.

Casey was a guest on ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith’s radio program Monday and said he hopes to design the offense around Griffin.

“We're going to empower him to expand his game, a lot like DeMar DeRozan in Toronto,” Casey said. “Expand his game out to the 3-point line, have some point-forward responsibilities with the basketball out on the floor bringing it down. Because he's more than just a back-down, post-up player.”

Casey will likely report to senior adviser Ed Stefanski, who was hired May 24. Stefanski worked with Casey in Toronto from 2011-13.

The relationship makes the job attractive.

“I’ve had a couple of great meetings — one with the management, with Ed Stefanski, who was a great GM, great guy, he’s big time," Casey said on ESPN's The Jump on Friday. "And he’s the main reason why the job is very appealing.”

Follow Vince Ellis on Twitter @vincent_ellis56.