This piece was written before Trajan Langdon’s announcement as the president of basketball operations.
As the NBA playoffs draw closer to crowning a champion, it’s essential to examine what the final four contenders have in common: strong leadership. In any organization, a determined president is crucial to spearheading success. Leaders like Rich Gotham (Boston), Tim Connelly (Minnesota), Kevin Pritchard (Indiana), and Cynt Marshall (Dallas) have proven their mettle, and their influence permeates through their teams, fostering competitive squads vying for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
In contrast, since 2018, the Detroit Pistons have needed a definitive president of basketball operations. Ed Stefanski served as a senior advisor to Tom Gores without officially holding the president title. This lack of a designated president has left the team without a clear direction, impacting decisions regarding general manager Troy Weaver, head coach Monty Williams, and others. As the search enters its fifth week, numerous reports are stating that the search could be coming to an end soon. Who are some candidates who have a legitimate chance to take the job? Let’s explore three of the candidates for the position.
President Trajan Langdon
Langdon, a former first-round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1999, played just three seasons in the NBA before taking his talents overseas. He would play for Benetton Treviso in the Italian league for one season before attempting to come back to the NBA with the LA Clippers in 2004, which was short-lived as he was cut during the pre-season. Langdon then played briefly for the Long Beach Jam in the ABA before moving to the Russian league, where he found success for Dynamo Moscow (2004-2005) and CSKA Moscow (2005-2006). His overseas career would end in 2011 with an impressive resume.
- 2× EuroLeague champion (2006, 2008)
- EuroLeague Final Four MVP 2008
- 2× All-EuroLeague First Team (2007, 2008)
- All-EuroLeague Second Team (2006)
- EuroLeague 2000–10 All-Decade Team (2010)
- 2× EuroLeague 50–40–90 club (2007, 2010)
- LBA champion (2003)
- Italian Cup winner (2003)
- Italian Super Cup winner (2002)
- 6× Russian League champion (2006–2011)
- Russian League MVP (2008)
- All-Russian League Second Team (2009)
- 3× Russian Cup winner (2006, 2007, 2010)
- Turkish League champion (2004)
Resume
Langdon started as a scout for the San Antonio Spurs from 2012 to 2015. He was in charge of scouting the East Region. He was pivotal in scouting guys who fit the “San Antonio way.” In 2016, Langdon would follow Marks to the Brooklyn Nets to become the assistant GM of the Nets and GM of the G-League affiliate Long Island Nets. In Langdon’s third season as the GM of the Long Island Nets, the team finished with the best record in the G-League. Langdon would be awarded the G-League Basketball Executive of the Year award.
In April 2019, David Griffin was named the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations. His first hire was Trajan Langdon as general manager. Langdon’s first five seasons as the Pelicans GM has amassed a record of 184-202, with the team improving its win total every year. Under Langdon’s leadership, the Pelicans have built a balanced roster of young players and veterans. Key moves include:
- 2019: Drafted Zion Williamson.
- 2019: Traded Anthony Davis for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, three-round picks, and a pick swap.
- 2020: Signed undrafted free agent Naji Marshall.
- 2021: Drafted Herb Jones (35th overall).
- 2021: Signed undrafted free agent Jose Alverado.
- 2021: Traded for Trey Murphy III and Jonas Valanciunas.
- 2022: Drafted Dyson Daniels and C.J. McCollum.
Under Langdon’s leadership and roster construction, the Pelicans are positioned to be a contender for many years.
Scott Perry
Perry, a Detroit native, was an accomplished high school and college basketball player. After starting as an assistant coach for the University Of Detroit for five seasons, Perry would become an assistant coach for the University Of Michigan from 1993-1997. Perry would be the assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky from 1997-2000.
Resume
When Joe Dumars was hired as the president of basketball operations by the Detroit Pistons in 2000, Perry was hired as an executive to Dumars. Perry helped build a Pistons team that went to six Eastern Conference Finals (2003-2008), two Eastern Conference Championships (2003-2004), and one NBA championship (2004). After his stint in Detroit, Perry would become the assistant general manager in Seattle. He was a part of the front office group that drafted Kevin Durant. Perry would return to Detroit as the vice president of basketball operations from 2008 to 2012. He would make stops in Orlando, Sacramento, and New York.
Dennis Lindsey
Like Langdon and Perry, Lindsey had some competitive basketball in his background. He played four seasons at Baylor University, where he averaged 7.5 points. He graduated in 1992 and from the U.S. Sports Academy in 1994. Lindsey joined the Houston Rockets in 1996 as a video coordinator and scout, ultimately working his way up to becoming the team’s assistant general manager.
Resume
Lindsey was the San Antonio Spurs assistant general manager from 2007 to 2012. During his time with the Spurs, the team compiled a 271-123 regular season record, the third-best in the NBA. The Spurs advanced to the NBA playoffs all five seasons, winning three Southwest Division titles, twice finishing with the best record in the Western Conference, and reaching two Western Conference finals in 2008 and 2012.
In August 2012, Lindsey accepted the position of General Manager of the Utah Jazz. Under Lindsey, Utah made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons (2017-2021) and won one series in three years (2017, 2018, 2021). Lindsey was the driving force in drafting Rudy Gobert in 2013 and Donovan Mitchell in 2017. Lindsey stepped down in 2021 and currently holds an advisory role for the Dallas Mavericks.
In Conclusion.
If the Pistons are going to turn this around, picking the right guy to lead this team will be necessary. If asked who should get the position, my answer would be Trajan Langdon. He not only has a basketball resume with his success in college and the pros, but everywhere he’s gone, the team improves. Langdon is a considerable part of that with the knowledge he possesses. Each guy has a legitimate argument and brings an excellent resume to assure fans they know what they’re doing, but Langdon sticks out to me more than the other candidates. If Tim Connelly becomes available, and you’re willing to throw the money at him, then by all means, get him.
Remember what happened the last time you threw significant money at someone to take a position in Detroit; it didn’t go well.
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