When Trajan Langdon took over as president of the Detroit Pistons he talked a lot about flexibility, patience and not skipping steps.
This was certainly not what most of the fanbase wanted to hear after suffering through a historically bad season, as many expected Langdon to take a flame thrower to a roster that was just off winning 14 games.
But Langdon took a measured approach, signing veterans to short-term deals, players who specifically complement Cade Cunningham and his otherworldly playmaking ability.
So far, Langdon looks like the smart one, as the Pistons have improved without selling out any of their young core and are financially positioned to make a big move at some point in the not-so-distant future.
Detroit isn’t likely to land a star player at this year’s trade deadline, but any deal will have to go through them, so Langdon has his team in a great spot and league insiders agree.
Who controls the NBA trade deadline? Your Detroit Pistons
Insiders Bobby Marks and Jeremy Woo (subscription) recently reported some of the latest buzz around the approaching trade deadline and one team kept coming up: The Detroit Pistons.
No, the Pistons aren’t about to trade for Jimmy Butler or Zach LaVine, but anyone who wants to will almost certainly have to pay Detroit to do it.
“I asked team executives from both conferences to give me one team that controls the Feb. 6 deadline. The answer might surprise you: the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons are the team to watch not because it is in the market for Ingram, Butler or Chicago Bulls' wing Zach LaVine, but because of its $14 million in salary cap space. With nearly a third of the league not allowed to take back additional salary in a trade because of apron restrictions, Detroit is in an ideal position to act as a third team, taking back contracts but with the caveat that draft picks are attached.”
Landing future draft assets may not excite the part of the fanbase that thinks the Pistons should go for it now, but when it comes to the big picture, it’s the pragmatic move and one that might pay off big next offseason.
The Pistons currently owe a protected 1st-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and until that pick is conveyed, it is more challenging for them to package draft assets in a trade.
I don’t think anyone is hyped about adding another young player in a future draft, but having another pick will allow the Pistons to potentially make a move for a star next summer or certainly by next year’s trade deadline.
Trajan Langdon has a clear plan here, which is to spend this season improving and developing his young core, while adding as many assets as possible to make future moves.
There are moves out there that could potentially improve the Pistons this season and land them some draft assets (one of which is laid out here), which would be the best of both worlds.
It’s nice to have a front office leader who seems to have a real plan and who has been working towards something that is soon to come to fruition.