CHICAGO — The Detroit Pistons could make a hiring decision on their president of basketball operations in the coming weeks, according to league sources. Athleticism.
Whoever fills the Pistons tab for the position won’t have the benefit of a top-three pick at their disposal, as the organization fell to No. 5 for the third straight year in the NBA draft lottery. Sunday, but despite this, Detroit has spoken to a few promising candidates to fill the position vacant since 2018.
Part of the delay, according to league sources, is that Detroit appears interested in making a run for Minnesota Timberwolves general manager Tim Connelly, whose team is currently in the midst of a second-round playoff matchup with the Connelly’s former team, the defending champion. Denver Nuggets.
Whether or not Connelly returns to the Timberwolves, league sources say he will likely opt out of the final year of his contract. It seems likely that Connelly will return to Minnesota, but if Pistons owner Tom Gores is willing to offer something like $15 million per year, that could be enough to lure him away.
The Pistons were denied permission to interview Milwaukee’s Jon Horst last week, according to league and team sources. Athleticism. It’s possible the Bucks faked assets from Detroit in order to take Horst, who signed a multi-year contract with Milwaukee in 2021. However, the Pistons decided to move on to other candidates.
New Orleans’ Trajan Langdon, Dallas’ Dennis Lindsey and Chicago’s Marc Eversley, among others, have emerged as viable targets for the role, according to league sources. Athleticism.
Langdon was a scout for the San Antonio Spurs from 2012 to 2015 before becoming assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets in 2016. He held that position until 2019 until becoming general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans, where he helped build the team. Pelicans on one of the most intriguing young teams.
Lindsey currently serves in an advisory role with the Dallas Mavericks. Lindsey served in several roles with the Utah Jazz from 2012 to 2021, including general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations.
Eversley, the current general manager of the Chicago Bulls, was on the Pistons’ radar in 2020 before hiring general manager Troy Weaver. He worked in NBA front offices for more than 15 years, including stints in Toronto, Washington and Philadelphia, before taking on his most senior positions in Chicago.
Could the No. 5 pick be more valuable than initially thought?
The Pistons have fallen as far as possible into one of the weakest draft classes in recent memory. However, due to the clutter of prospects at the top, could the No. 5 pick be a little more valuable than initially thought?
In talking with people around the league before the NBA lottery, it was believed that the No. 5 pick in this draft would be equivalent to the ninth to 12th pick in a normal class. While that seems about right, it’s worth noting that since there are no clearly defined prospect tiers this time around, teams might covet the fifth pick rather than, say, the second or third pick. Of course, this assumes there will be a few teams interested in moving up. In talking with people around the league after the Pistons’ fate was revealed, a few of them said they could see the No. 5 pick being decently valued if teams are, in fact, hopeful enough or two to progress.
Let me explain.
There is a world where the front office and evaluators see expected prospects in the top five or seven, all at the same level or with very little separation. The difference in rookie salary between picks #1 and #2 compared to pick #5 is quite significant. For example, 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama will earn between $12 million and $16 million per year for the remainder of his rookie contract. The No. 2 pick, Scoot Henderson, made $9.7 million his first year and will make between $10 million and $13 million per year starting next season. Ausar Thompson, who the Pistons took No. 5 overall in 2023, made $7.9 million last season and will earn between $8.3 million and $11.1 million per year over the life of his rookie contract. So there’s a difference of a few million dollars when you look at the difference in rookie contracts based on where they’re selected.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to think that a team that wants to move up thinks it could get the best player in the 2024 NBA Draft at No. 5 instead of No. 2 or No. 3 — and maybe even No. °1. – while saving money in the process.
Just something to chew on.
(Top photo of Timberwolves manager Tim Connelly: David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
News Source : theathletic.com
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