The Detroit Pistons have a new president of basketball operations, about a month after team owner Tom Gores announced the team was opening a search for a top executive. Trajan Langdon, general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans for the past five seasons, is currently negotiating a deal with Detroit. according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Detroit is coming off the worst season in franchise history, finishing with a 14-68 record and an NBA-record 28 games lost. Once Langdon takes over as the Pistons’ president of basketball operations, the question is whether he will decide to retain general manager Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams.
Langdon has been the Pelicans’ general manager since 2019 and works under executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin.
During his tenure, New Orleans selected Zion Williamson No. 1 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft and acquired Trey Murphy III in 2021 as part of a three-team deal with the Memphis Grizzlies and Charlotte Hornets. But his top pick could be Herb Jones as a 2021 second-rounder out of Alabama. Jones was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive first team this season.
The Pistons have the No. 5 selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 48-year-old Langdon has also made significant trades, acquiring Jonas Valanciunas in a three-team deal in 2021 and CJ McCollum in a six-player trade in 2022 (including a first-round pick and two in the second round) of the Portland Trail Blazers.
“The Pistons felt Langdon was very attentive during interviews and had well-rounded ideas that really caught the owner’s attention,” report James L. Edwards III and Shams Charania of The Athletic. Dallas Mavericks senior advisor Dennis Lindsey was also reportedly a finalist for the position.
As Pistons GM, Weaver has arguably been successful in gathering young talent, thanks in large part to high draft picks in recent years. Still, a young core of guards Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, between Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, and forward Ausar Thompson doesn’t fit together. With so much poor shooting and defense, Williams struggled to find a lineup that worked consistently.
It also seems likely that Williams will remain as head coach after signing a six-year, $76 million contract with the Pistons last season. Despite having $60 million remaining on his deal, Gores will eat that money if Langdon decides to make a coaching change, according to The Athletic.
Before taking the New Orleans job, Langdon was an assistant general manager with the Brooklyn Nets under Sean Marks. He joined the Nets after three years as a scout for the San Antonio Spurs.
Langdon played three seasons in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the team’s first-round pick (No. 11 overall) in the 1999 Draft after an All-American career at Duke. He also played internationally for eight years in Italy, Turkey and Russia.
