HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

This has been a long season for John Kuester and the Detroit Pistons. The team has underachieved and is on pace to miss the playoffs for the second year in a row, which would be the first time since 1995 that the Pistons have failed to qualify for the postseason in consecutive seasons.

The only thing uglier than Detroit’s play has been the internal drama brewing behind the scenes. Kuester lost his players months ago, and the rift between the two sides continues to grow each and every day. Nobody is hiding how they feel in Detroit. Players have openly mocked the coach in the locker room prior to games and a question about Kuester sometimes garners a sigh or eye roll.

But disliking a coach is very different than refusing to work with him, and that’s exactly what the Pistons have done in recent weeks.

After a loss before the All-Star break, players left the locker room as Kuester was in the middle of giving his postgame talk. Then, on Friday morning, the team made their loudest statement yet when seven players organized a protest and agreed not to show up for the team’s shootaround.

The team tried to organize a similar protest prior to last week’s game against the Indiana Pacers, but decided against the idea because they heard that Kuester would be fired over the weekend.

When he wasn’t let go over the All-Star break, the veterans followed through with their original plan. The players that skipped the morning workout – Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace, Austin Daye, Rodney Stuckey and Chris Wilcox – were benched for last night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers and sat on the bench as the Pistons got drubbed. Detroit lost by double digits and the veterans had nothing to smile about.

That is, until Kuester was ejected from the game in the second quarter.

After arguing with an official over a missed call, Kuester was tossed from the game. Cameras quickly cut to Detroit’s bench and showed the entire group laughing and covering their faces. Sources close to the situation can’t believe how quickly the relationship has spiraled out of control.

"Players are just not happy with the coaching staff, in particular the vets. Change is needed," texted one source close to the team.

But when will that change occur? Kuester has been on the hot seat all season, and Joe Dumars has stood by his coach. When Kuester and Prince got into a heated confrontation on the sideline in November, the coach remained safe. When Kuester and Hamilton stopped speaking last month because of the guard’s lengthy stay on the inactive list, the coach kept his job.

While the Pistons’ ownership situation could be keeping Dumars from making a change, there is the cheap option of firing Kuester and handing over the team to his top assistant Darrell Walker. Sources believe that the head coach will either be relieved in the coming days or directly after the season.

The Pistons may want to fire Kuester sooner rather than later. He has clearly lost his team and it’s going to be very difficult for him to compete if his team continues to miss practices and games due to headaches and upset stomachs.

Durant Excited About Trades: When the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Jeff Green for Kendrick Perkins minutes before Thursday’s deadline, many around the league wondered how Kevin Durant would react. After all, the two players are very close and nobody from either team saw the move coming.

While it was tough for him to say goodbye to Green, Durant completely supports general manager Sam Presti’s decision and is genuinely excited about the trade.

"It’s going to really help us out," Durant told Yahoo! Sports. "Losing Jeff Green was tough for us. [But] we’re going to make up for that loss with Serge, Perk and Nazr. I’m excited. It’s going to be a new-look team for us."

It was much more difficult to sell Perkins on the deal. He loved the situation in Boston and had grown very close to his Celtics teammates. After he was informed of the trade, Perkins broke down and cried. Durant heard that the center was having a hard time dealing with the change, and reached out to Perkins.

"I texted him last night and just let him know that I know it’s tough for him leaving a team he has been with for so long," Durant said. "But I got his back and I’m going to try to make it as easy as possible for him. I’m looking forward to getting to meet him and playing hard the rest of the way."

{AUTHOR_BOX}Because he’s only 26 years old, Perkins can relate to Oklahoma City’s young core. But he also provides plenty of playoff experience along with a veteran mentality that comes from playing with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen for seven years.

"He’s a young guy just like us, just a couple years older," Durant said. "But he’s been through a lot in this league and he is a veteran. He has won a championship and he could bring a lot to our team. We’re looking forward to him being there and I’m going to let him know from the beginning that hopefully he can be a big part of this team for many years to come."

Durant understands that this trade fills what was a glaring whole for the Thunder, and is more confident than ever that the team can make a deep run in the playoffs.

"Everybody was saying we needed a big guy last year," Durant said. "So now people are going to expect us to go farther. We got the guy we needed and hopefully we can make the necessary adjustments as far as defensive concerns and have him more comfortable with our offense once he gets here."

O.J. Mayo’s Awkward Situation: When a player hears their name surfacing in trade rumors, it’s always difficult to show up for work and act like nothing is wrong. But O.J. Mayo and the Memphis Grizzlies find themselves in a situation that’s even more awkward.

The Grizzlies and Pacers had agreed on a deal that would have sent Mayo to Indiana in exchange for Josh McRoberts and a first-round pick. The Hornets had also been involved in the talks, but dropped out at the last second.

Memphis and Indiana scrambled to salvage the deal, and ultimately were able to agree to terms. But when they submitted the trade to the league office, they were several minutes late and the deadline had already passed.

This meant that Mayo, who had been the subject of trade rumors for months, would be staying in Memphis despite the team’s attempt to trade him. As the situation unfolded, the shooting guard sat in his home, watched ESPN and took calls from confused family, friends and teammates. Mayo has now put the situation behind him and he couldn’t have handled the situation any better when speaking to reporters on Friday.

"We’re still married and I’m happy to be here," Mayo told The Commercial Appeal. "I think I belong here. It’s my job to prove that I need to be here."

"I’m happy that it’s all over," Mayo continued. "At least I know I’ll be here all the way through the end of the season. You can’t control what goes on in this business other than going out there and giving 120 percent. That’s what you can control."

The 23-year-old has always understood that the NBA is a business because his first experience in the league was being traded.

"When I got drafted (in 2008) I had a Minnesota hat on. So I thought I was going to Minnesota. Then at my draft party, the blockbuster trade came on ESPN that I was going to Memphis without a phone call or anything," Mayo said. "So you understand that my first day in this league I understood that it’s a business.

"I’m just happy we’re in the eighth spot and the team is playing really well," he continued. "I’m happy to be a part of it. I’ve been through a lot of adversity this year — more than I’ve ever experienced — but at the end of the day, I’ve got to remain strong and help the team. I’m ready to make a strong push for this playoff run."

Mayo is just happy that he can still call Memphis home and hopes to stay with the Grizzlies for years to come. This may have been the wakeup call that he needed in order to right the ship in Memphis, and prove he’s still worth keeping.

"You grow a bond and relationship with teammates and friends around the city, and the coaching staff," Mayo said. "Anytime you build that kind of bond, you don’t want it to end."

HOOPSWORLD Chats: There is one chat on today’s schedule. Susan Bible, who covers the Oklahoma City Thunder and NBA for HOOPSWORLD, will be taking your questions at 11 a.m. EST. As always you can check out our entire upcoming chat schedule here.