Trajan Langdon gave his first press conference as president of the Detroit Pistons, and it left fans with mixed feelings.
Most praised his confidence and calm demeanor, as well as his clear vision for the team. But he also didn’t sound like a guy in a hurry to make sweeping changes to his roster, as he talked about player development and not taking shortcuts.
He also talked about the possibility of taking on contracts in exchange for assets, something the Pistons never really did under Troy Weaver even while they were tanking. Weaver did take on a bunch of salary dumps but got few assets in return other than future second-round picks.
If Langdon doesn’t think this team can be turned into a playoff contender in one summer, then this isn’t the worst strategy even if it might not yield the immediate payoffs impatient fans are hoping for after years of suffering.
If the Pistons do go this route, they will have plenty of options, as there are teams looking to shed salary that might have players who could help Detroit or garner them some assets.
10 Contracts the Detroit Pistons can take on for assets
#10: Mitchell Robinson
The Knicks are desperate to keep Isaiah Hartenstein, which means Mitchell Robinson may end up getting traded to clear cap space according to Jake Fisher of Yahoo Sports.
Robinson has two years and around $26 million left on his contract, so it’s one the Pistons could easily absorb.
When healthy, he’s a guy the Pistons could use, as he is a rim protector who blocks plenty of shots. The problem is that he isn’t healthy that often, so even though he’d be useful to the Pistons, they might need an asset to take him on.
The Knicks have two picks in this draft (#24 and #25) plus the one the Pistons owe them which may never convey at this point. Could they get one of them to take on Mitchell? If so, this is a no-brainer, as he is the type of veteran they need, as he can compete with Duren for the starting spot or back him up.