Pistons finalize deal to hire Trajan Langdon as president of basketball operations: sources

After an extensive, multi-week search involving more than a dozen candidates, the Detroit Pistons finalize a deal to close Trajan Langdon president of basketball operations, league and team sources confirmed to Athleticism THURSDAY.

After a franchise and NBA-worst 14-68 record last season, Pistons owner Tom Gores made the choice to shake up the organization’s infrastructure by filling a position vacant since 2018, that of primary decision-maker. the organization.

Hiring Langdon, he will have the final say on all basketball decisions, and will also have the opportunity to leave general manager Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams, who signed a whopping $76 million contract over six years (with incentives) last summer.

Langdon, general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans, has been with the organization since 2019. Before that, he served as assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets for three years. Langdon also scouted the San Antonio Spurs from 2012 to 2015.

The Pelicans’ success of late has wavered based on the availability of Zion Williamson, but this New Orleans team has done a great job identifying young talent — look at Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones — and has one of the most stacked wing groups. in the NBA, an area in which Detroit has lacked for many years.

The Pelicans have also been active on the trade market since Langdon has been there, adding CJ McCollum and Jonas Valančiūnas.

Detroit brought in search firm Turnkey to help round up potential candidates, and while that process presented Gores with several interesting names, he was Langdon and Dennis Lindsey who were the finalists. Both candidates met with Gores several times in recent weeks — virtually and in person — before a decision was made, according to league sources. Athleticism.

“The Pistons felt Langdon was very thoughtful during interviews and had well-rounded ideas that really caught the attention of owners,” team sources said.

Even with several key decisions still looming and the 2024 NBA Draft a month away, the Pistons did not want to rush the process despite the lack of time, according to team sources.

After that disastrous season and a rebuild that just completed its fourth year with very little progress to speak of, it was important for Gores to make sure to identify who he felt would not only be the perfect fit to take out the organization of this current rut. , but also be able to create a successful and sustainable product in the future.

To do this, Langdon will have to intervene immediately and make critical decisions. The first thing on the checklist is to determine whether Langdon wants to keep Weaver, who is still under contract, as general manager.

The second thing will be determining if Williams is the best coach for this team moving forward. Third, Langdon will have to determine whether the organization should use the No. 5 pick in next month’s draft to try to add more unknown potential to a roster that already has a ton of it or trade the pick for one or more players who may have a immediate impact. .

For Langdon, deciding the future of Weaver and Williams will have to come relatively soon.

Weaver, who has served as the team’s general manager since 2020, was given the daunting task of getting the Pistons’ rebuild off the ground, despite having very limited assets to work with upon his arrival. Weaver’s scouting and talent evaluation is what attracted Detroit to him, even in 2018 after the franchise’s Stan Van Gundy split.

Weaver’s draft in the Motor City was solid. He was able to land promising prospects like Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson without having the top three picks, but one wonders how all of their skills will fit in with Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in 2021, who appears to be the cornerstone of the franchise for the foreseeable future.

He even landed NBA players like Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey out of the lottery. However, two seasons ago, Weaver traded Bey for James Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in 2020, and added another young project center to a roster that already has several. Weaver also drafted Killian Hayes No. 7 overall in 2020. Hayes has been out of the NBA since the Pistons waived him earlier this year.

Ultimately, though, roster construction under Weaver was the biggest problem. Detroit has relied on too much youth and hasn’t had pieces that fit together well in recent seasons. Detroit has won just 31 games in the last two years combined and had a 28-game losing streak that ended in December.

As for Williams, deciding her future will be the hardest part. Last summer, Gores chose to bypass the candidates presented by the front office – Charles Lee and Kevin Ollie – and decided to make Williams one of the highest-paid coaches in NBA history just weeks after his firing by the Phoenix Suns.

Here’s what Williams said about why he took the Detroit job during his introductory press conference last offseason:

“The quick answer is (Weaver), the players and the money. It’s something people don’t talk about. They say it wasn’t the money. I’m laughing about it. I think it’s disrespectful. …When someone is so generous to pay me that kind of money, firstly, it should be applauded and, secondly, it should be talked about. …I love the building process. I like to see players improve. I love seeing a first-time guy understand what it takes to navigate critical situations. These jobs are privileges, and there are only 30 of them, and I look at it that way.

Williams didn’t have the best team to work with this season, as it was very young, injured and lacking shooting and defense, but a similar team coached by Dwane Casey in 2022-23 – but without Cunningham for all but 12. due to injury and eyes on landing Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft – won 17 games. Everyone, from top to bottom, is responsible for last year’s disaster.

Detroit’s head coach has about $60 million left on his contract, according to sources. Athleticism that Gores will eat the rest of the money if the new president of basketball operations decides he wants to bring in someone else to sit on the sidelines.

If we would say Langdon will walk straight into a burning house, that’s because it will. However, the resources are there to control the flames. The Pistons have a top five, $64 million-plus cap hit, Cunningham and a few other young prospects with potential who could develop into something more or be traded for more proven commodities.

This situation is fixable, and that is what Langdon will have to do with the work.

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(Photo: Matthew Hinton / USA Today)