The Detroit Pistons are in a spot few thought they’d be in as January 2025 comes to close: Sniffing the playoffs.
Detroit started the day in the 8th seed, but are just a half game behind Miami for the 6th, outplaying even the most optimistic predictions.
It has put Trajan Langdon in a tough spot with the trade deadline a week away, as he probably thought he’d be using his cap space to take on contracts for assets and selling off a few veteran contracts for more.
He’s now under pressure to make the team better, but doing that without disrupting his timeline and vision won’t be easy. The whole thing is complicated by the 2025 draft pick the Pistons owe the Timberwolves that is top-13 protected and would currently convey to Minnesota as the 15th pick.
A few wins or losses could tip the Pistons in either direction and Langdon might see an opportunity for the best of both worlds where the Pistons make the play-in tournament but still keep their pick.
We’ll know much more in a week, when Langdon will have to choose a path and that choice will be reflected in the moves he makes.
If he sees the Detroit Pistons as a legit playoff team...
We could see Trajan Langdon trade for a star to replace Jaden Ivey’s production and get Cade Cunningham the help he needs.
This seems unlikely, as Langdon might feel it’s too early to shed draft capital for a team that is not likely a title contender even if they did add a star like Zach LaVine.
We could also see Langdon trade for a lesser talent who fills a need, a player like Collin Sexton who wouldn’t cost as much in terms of assets or contract and doesn’t disrupt the timeline he has created by signing free-agent deals that do not extend past next season.
The final option would be to add a role player who can make the rotation and give the Pistons a chance to improve without giving up much, which is the option I think he’ll ultimately land on, especially if he can get that player with a draft pick attached.
If he cares more about the pick than the playoffs...
Trajan Langdon will do what he talked about before the season, which is look to take on a salary dump in exchange for draft assets.
This may or may not be a guy who can play, but if the Pistons can get handsomely rewarded to rent out their cap space, it’s something Langdon will consider, as it would allow him to chase the play-in this season while adding some much-needed draft assets.
There is another extreme option, which is that the Pistons are sellers at the deadline, something pending free agent Malik Beasley hinted at in a recent interview.
If some team comes with a “crazy” offer for Beasley or Tim Hardaway Jr., the Pistons could pick up a nice asset or two, but would hurt their chances of making the postseason, which Langdon might not think is a bad thing since it would mean keeping their pick and having a remote shot at the top of the draft.
It’s not an easy position to be in and one that Langdon likely didn’t consider before the season started. My guess is that he tries to have it both ways by taking on a player whose salary another team needs to shed along with a draft asset and seeing what happens.