After the Pistons decided to hire Trajan Langdon as their new president of basketball operations, he’s already made his biggest decision in power. Last week, veteran coach Monty Williams was fired from his position after only one campaign in Detroit, which happened to be a historic disappointment after accumulating 28-straight defeats.
Even though it seems the Michigan club is taking the correct steps towards reconstruction, there is still plenty of mystery surrounding their future. When asked about when they would hire a replacement for Williams, Langdon wasn’t able to give a straight answer. “I can’t give you a timeline,” he said of his coaching search.
But the thing is, beyond Cade Cunningham, there are many uncertainties in the Detroit camp. However, owner Tom Gores seems to be convinced that he found the correct person to lead the franchise to success.
Hear from Pistons owner Tom Gores on why he feels new President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon, is the right person to take this franchise in the right direction. 🗣️#DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/A1kPepqxSG
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) June 21, 2024
“After assessing everything, I really felt the best choice for the organization was a fresh start,” he expressed last Friday when the Pistons officially introduced Langdon. “Our mistakes in the past has nothing to do with just one person. We needed a fresh start and we needed Trajan to lead with a fresh start.”
Trajan replaced former GM Troy Weaver after previously working as the New Orleans Pelicans general manager. After dismissing Monty last week with five years and $65 million remaining on his contract, he’s been considering options like J.B. Bickerstaff, Sean Sweeney, Michael Nori and James Borrego as candidates for the job.
The new President inherits a very young roster, with 11 of its players being 25 or younger. “As much as we want to win,” Gores expressed, after a disappointing 14-68 mark. “We want to develop these young players.”
The team will continue to build around their star Cunningham, who averaged 22.7 points this past season. “One thing we are looking for with the cap space we do have is bringing in contracts maybe from other teams and gathering assets as well,” Langdon assured. “Hopefully, with the players that come in, they can bolster the growth [of the younger players]. If we can interweave those two things, that would make our summer successful.”
Langdon also wasn’t able to give a timeframe for when he expects the Pistons to build a team strong enough for the playoffs
Yes, Trajan has only been on the job in Detroit for three weeks, but for a team that desperately needs rebuilding, there is no time to waste. Nevertheless, every time the new President is asked about when he expects the Pistons to take the next steps, he isn’t able to set a date.
Last week, the press asked when he thought the Michigan franchise would eventually return to a postseason after more than 15 years without winning a playoff series. “I don’t think there’s a timeframe for us to get to the playoffs,” he said.
During his official introduction, Gores explained why he decided for Langdon as the team’s boss. Tom said he not only admired his basketball knowledge, but also his overall leadership skills, as he’s been given full authority to run the day-to-day operations.
“I’m extremely confident that this partnership with Trajan is going to work, that it is going to turn our franchise around,” the Pistons owner assured, as the club prepares to make big changes this summer.
