After weeks of speculation and more than a dozen interviews, the Detroit Pistons have hired Trajan Langdon as their president of basketball operations.
ESPN Sources: The Detroit Pistons have landed on Trajan Langdon to become the franchise’s new President of Basketball Operations and sides are beginning work on a deal for New Orleans’ GM to oversee organization. pic.twitter.com/WlQOifb4jY
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 23, 2024
There was speculation that they were going to wait for Tim Connelly, but with the draft rapidly approaching, the Pistons had little time to waste so pulled the trigger on Langdon, who was the candidate I was pulling for.
Langdon has an impressive record as a talent evaluator, starting with his days as a scout for the San Antonio Spurs. He’s worked with some of the top executives in the league, has a great reputation and is only 48 years old, so he can grow with the team and be there long term.
Most importantly, he has a track record of doing exactly what the Pistons need him to do in Detroit, which is turn around an underperforming team as he did in both Brooklyn and New Orleans as assistant GM and GM, respectively.
Here’s a look at Langdon’s draft history, some of the trades he’s made and what coaches might be on his radar if he decides to part ways with Monty Williams.
Detroit Pistons news: Trajan Langdon’s draft history
Langdon has an strong history of finding talent later in the draft, as he has never chosen in the top five and has managed to find some steals.
He was part of the team that drafted Kyle Kuzma (traded to the Lakers) with the 27th pick and Jarrett Allen with the 22nd. He landed Caris LeVert (20th) in a draft-day trade for Thaddeus Young.
As the GM of the New Orleans Pelicans, he drafted Zion Williamson number one overall, which was a no-brainer that any GM would have done in that draft, but the rest of his picks in New Orleans have been impressive.
He took Trey Murphy III with the 17th pick after trading back with the Grizzlies, who took Ziaire Williams, a move that worked out very well for the Pelicans.
He found 1st team all-defensive player Herb Jones in the second round with the 35th pick, got Dyson Daniels (pending) with the 8th pick and Jordan Hawkins with the 14th. He also signed Jose Alvarado as an undrafted free agent in a move that has been a “steal” (sorry) for the Pels.
Armed with the 5th pick in this draft, Langdon will enjoy the highest pick he’s ever had and I’m excited to see what he can do with it.
Trajan Langdon’s trades
The two biggest trades the Pelicans made on Langdon’s watch were for Jonas Valanciunas and CJ McCollum, two stabilizing veterans who have been good in New Orleans.
He traded Eric Bledsoe, Steven Adams and a protected first for Valanciunas in a trade that definitely worked out for the Pelicans, as he signed a value deal and has been a solid presence in the paint for them. He was also a better fit with Zion and BI because of his ability to shoot the 3-ball.
When you consider Adams’ injury history and that Bledsoe has been out of the league for years now, this was a good trade for New Orleans.
He also brought in CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr in a trade that sent out Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and two players who are no longer in the NBA. You can debate this one, as Hart and NAW went on to be valuable role players for playoff teams, but at the time, the Pelicans needed some veterans to flank their young talent and went with CJ, a move they do not regret.
The main thing that held New Orleans back was injuries, as Langdon helped assemble a team with the talent to compete for a title, but they were never able to stay on the floor.
Langdon has good relationships around the league and will be instrumental in attracting talent as well as possible head coaches.
Trajan Langdon’s ties to coaches and players
Trajan Langdon will have the power to fire one or both of Troy Weaver and Monty Williams, but we’ll have to wait and see how that goes, as he may decide it is too late in the offseason to start from scratch with a new front office and coaching staff.
If he does want his own coach, expect Kenny Atkinson to be mentioned, as he and Langdon have a relationship dating back to their time with the Nets.
Current associate head coach of the Pelicans James Borrego has been mentioned a candidate for several other jobs and could be another name to watch if Langdon fires Monty.
As for players, Langdon has far-reaching relationships after his time in the Euro League, where he was dominant as a player. Given how international the game now is, this could be valuable.
He did draft Jarrett Allen, so if the Cavaliers decide to move him and the Pistons want more rim protection, he could be a name to watch.
I immediately saw fans talking about the possibility of Brandon Ingram, but I’d pump the brakes on that. Langdon was the GM who didn’t offer Ingram an extension and it looks as though the Pels may trade him, so I wouldn’t pencil him onto the Pistons’ roster just yet.
Langdon has shown a preference for lengthy players who defend, as we saw with TMIII, Jones and Daniels, so he should love Ausar Thompson, but the book is out on Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.
Langdon is an exciting hire who will bring a strong history in the draft and trades, which is exactly what the Detroit Pistons are going to need this summer.