Report: Timberwolves' Tim Connelly highlights Detroit Pistons list of targets for president
The Detroit Pistons reportedly have a list of targets for their newly-created president of basketball operations position, highlighted by a big name.
The Athletic reported Monday that the Pistons are taking time to make the hire because they "appear interested" in Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, whose team is currently in the playoffs. The other targets the Athletic reported as "viable targets" are New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon, Dallas Mavericks senior advisor Dennis Lindsey and Chicago Bulls GM Marc Eversley.
The report says that Connelly is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract next season, and will most likely return to Minnesota unless Pistons owner Tom Gores offers a godfather contract, similar to what he did for Monty Williams last offseason.
Connelly is known as the architect of two of the four teams remaining in the Western Conference Playoffs, Minnesota and Denver. He became the Nuggets GM in 2013, eventually working up to POBO, and had a direct hand in building Denver's current championship roster. In 2022, he took the same role with Minnesota, facilitating deals to get Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley, which helped turn Minnesota into a legitimate playoff threat.
Langdon, meanwhile, is a former NBA and Euroleague player who got his start in the front office as a scout for the Spurs from 2012-2015. He was named the Nets assistant GM in 2016 and eventually worked up to the New Orleans GM position in 2019, the start of the Zion Williamson era.
Lindsey is currently an advisor for the Mavericks but is most known for his time as the Jazz GM from 2012-2021, turning them into a perennial playoff team. Before that, he served as an assistant GM for San Antonio.
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Eversley, the final name mentioned, has been the Bulls GM since 2020. Eversley, a UK native who grew up in Toronto, previously worked as an assistant GM for the Raptors, VP of player personnel for the Wizards and VP of player staff for the 76ers.
Whoever steps into the role will have their work cut out for them. The Pistons have been the worst team in the NBA the last two seasons, including a franchise-worst 14-68 record in 2023-24, and will pick fifth in the upcoming NBA draft. The collection of young talent current GM Troy Weaver has assembled did not work out, so now Detroit is moving in another direction in terms of a lead voice on personnel in the front office.
The Pistons made the presidential search official after the season was over and are taking their time in the hiring process with more than a month passing since then. According to Free Press reporting, hiring a president is the team's way to try and fix a splintered front office that has led to regression on the court in recent seasons.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Report: Tim Connelly on Detroit Pistons list of targets for president
