Detroit Pistons to hire Trajan Langdon as new president of basketball operations
Five weeks after the conclusion of worst season in franchise history, the Detroit Pistons have found a new leader.
The Pistons are working towards a deal with New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon to be the franchise's new head of basketball operations, multiple league sources confirmed to the Free Press on Thursday. Langdon was viewed as a favorite for the position after interviewing with owner Tom Gores, and has long been regarded as one of the NBA's brightest candidates to lead a front office.
Langdon joined New Orleans in 2019 and has been a key part of a franchise that boasts one of the league's most talented young cores, led by Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones. The Pelicans tied their best record in franchise history, 49-33, this past season and fell in the first round of the playoffs.
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He will take over a Pistons franchise coming off of a 14-68 season, which included an NBA record-tying 28-game losing streak. Detroit has more than $60 million in cap space this summer.
A former NBA player who had a stint overseas before joining the San Antonio Spurs as a scout in 2012, Langdon was named assistant GM of the Brooklyn Nets in 2016 prior to joining the Pelicans.
Langdon will sit at the top of the chain of command for the Pistons, and will have full autonomy to reshape Detroit's front office and decide on the futures of general manager Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams.
A deal with Langdon isn't expected to become official until next week, according to a source. The Pistons had a list of candidates including Dallas Mavericks advisor Dennis Lindsay and Minnesota Timberwolves president Tim Connelly, whose team is currently in the Western Conference Finals.
The Pistons' pending agreement with Langdon was initially reported by ESPN.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trajan Langdon to become Detroit Pistons president of basketball
