Possible Detroit Pistons targets with ties to Trajan Langdon

Jonas Valanciunas

Unlike the previous two players, Jonas was not drafted in any way by Langdon. He only recently caught the eye of Detroit’s new POBO. As a part of a 3-team trade, Jonas was acquired by Langdon and the Pelicans back in 2021, and then signed a contract extension that expires this upcoming offseason.

While Valanciunas is on the older side, having just turned 32, his size and big man abilities would be great in Detroit. He is a decent defender who can rebound, get buckets in the paint and shoot some from 3-pointp range. If Detroit whiffs on some other big man targets such as Nic Claxton (more on him in a minute) or Isaiah Hartenstein, Jonas could make sense.

Nic Claxton

We just talked about a potential big man that Trajan Langdon has ties to, but we also briefly mentioned a younger, more buzz worthy center that could be an option for Detroit. Once again in the same boat as Murray and Alexander-Walker, Claxton was eventually drafted by Brooklyn after Langdon had gone, but he still played a role in scouting the big man. Langdon and the Nets teams struck gold in the second round with Claxton, and the now free agent will be looking for a big pay day.

The 6 -foot-11 25 year old will likely command a large raise after averaging 12 points, 10 rebounds 2 assists and 3 stocks per game. Detroit would have to shell out for him, but if Langdon could get Nic in the Motor City it would be a huge win.