DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons finally introduced their new president on Friday, as the team prepares to hire a new general manager and head coach.
The Pistons fired GM Troy Weaver earlier this month before parting ways with head coach Monty Williams on Monday. It’ll be up to Trajan Langdon to find the right hires.
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Langdon was named the team’s new president of basketball operations in May, but was officially introduced during a press conference on Friday. He was joined by owner Tom Gores.
“One of the things we missed is a leader who can lead everyone,” Gores said, reflecting on what hasn’t worked in recent years. He said Langdon fit what he wanted for a leadership role, describing it more like the team CEO.
Langdon, 48, joins the Pistons with 12 years of front office and scouting experience, including most recently as General Manager of the New Orleans Pelicans from 2019-2024. Prior to his time in New Orleans, Langdon served in front offices for the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs.
In his new role, Langdon will report directly to Gores.
“I want us to do this together. I want to do it with high-character, hardworking people with a Detroit Pistons mindset first,” Langdon said. “Our goal is to compete night in and night out, and put together a team the city can be proud of because that’s the team the city deserves.”
Langdon will try and build a stronger supporting cast around star point guard Cade Cunningham, who is due a massive extension in the next year.
“What I’ve seen since I’ve been here is young men who love being in the gym and love to work,” Langdon said. “They’ve been in here working their tails off.”
“We felt like the best thing for the organization was a fresh start,” Gores said. “A lot accumulated, and I think we just needed a fresh start. We needed Trajan to lead with a fresh start. Sometimes you can get held back as an organization.”
The Pistons haven’t made the playoffs since 2019, haven’t won a playoff game since 2008, and have had the worst record in the NBA for consecutive seasons, including a franchise-worst for losses just last year.
“I don’t think there’s a timeframe for when we want to get back to the playoffs. Creating a foundation, a foundation for our young players. A culture of winning,” Langdon said. “I want to hold everyone accountable. To the smallest things like being on time for a rotation, practice, a blocked shot, texting someone back on time.”
“We’re not going to skip steps. I’m not going to set a timeline. We’ll get there when we get there,” Langdon added.
Gores added, “The mistake of the past is thinking a magic bullet will fix things.”
The Pistons have to move quick, with the NBA Draft and free agency just around the corner. Detroit has plenty of cap space to make move, if they choose to do so. They own the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft.