Will New President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon Fix the Detroit Pistons? | POP Podcast

Will New President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon Fix the Detroit Pistons? | POP Podcast

Pistons fans welcome to a supplemental edition of the Palace of Pistons podcast part of the believe Network I’m your host Mike angangan joining me um from our offices our home offices our offices away from our offices uh are Aaron Johnson and Jasper aalon fellas uh we have one topic and one topic only to talk about and that is of course uh the Pistons hiring of pres of basketball operations mere hours after Aaron and I recorded the full edition of the podcast so um I wanted toh talk to both of you about the big news Pistons hiring trejon langon from the New Orleans Pelicans um fellis how are you doing today I’m I’m All discombobulated you know I just figures that this would happen the one time we record the podcast a day earlier you know usually record on Thursday nights around like 6 and the News came out on Thursday night at about 5:45 that uh the Pistons we’re gonna hire langon as the team’s uh president of basketball operations so it just figures that we ended up recording this this week’s uh podcast on a Wednesday uh instead and I had just finished uh scheduling it out and editing and prepping it uh at like three o’clock four o’clock on Thursday uh it just that’s how it goes the one time we record a day early but that’s all right because we’re here for a special edition a bonus episode Jasper’s here with us this time and we’re going to talk about something that is very very big for the Detroit Pistons yeah this is why I don’t show up for the podcasts that don’t matter I only show up for the ones that do and here I am uh like you said Mike in my business attire in my where I do most of my business uh my girlfriend’s bathroom uh that’s how important this is we’ve been talking about the president of basketball operation search for what feels like months now because it probably has been months um and with trejan langon being the guy who’s brought in this is a new chapter in this this era of Pistons basketball uh under Tom gorus it’s going to be really really interesting to see what happens this is a guy with a strong draft record uh who has worked under some of the better GMS in this league it’s going to be absolutely fascinating to see what his first moves are going to be and I kind of suspect that’s something we’re going to be talking about today yes we have a few things we’re going be talking about with this hire there’s there’s quite a bit to unpack and just want to make note that this isn’t something that’s official the organization hasn’t announced it yet but this is all but official coming from Adrien wowski um but before we get into some of the discussion regarding TR John Langton I do want to remind everybody that this episode of the podcast is sponsored by bet online and bet online is your number one source for all your NBA NHL playoff season every stat every matchup and live odds you can head on over to the website today get in on action and use our promo code believe that’s bav for a 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit when you use bet online bet online the game starts here and our requisite pre-show plugs I do want to remind everybody as well to please subscribe to our newsletter pal pistons.com you can read the latest release from Aaron about Dalton connect as a potential option with the fifth pick um you’ll get a whole lot more content coming our way with draft stuff as we get closer to the draft you can also get the podcast delivered to your inbox every Friday or sometimes a little bit earlier or later depending on uh what the Pistons decide to throw at us in terms of breaking news you’ll also get the weekly Drive every Monday morning so please subscribe to our newsletter at pal peas.com or if you’re watching on YouTube it will be in the description of this episode all right let’s get into it the Detroit Pistons hired New Orleans Pelicans general manager Tron langon as new president of basketball operations he was on the short list along with Tim Connelly Dennis Lindsay and Don Hammond and merried others um guys what’s your initial reaction to this hire uh you know before we get into Troy weav ver Monte Williams potential moves trading the fifth pick free agency signings Brandon Ingram you know what’s the initial reaction to the hire of langden uh he’s he’s very young uh relatively he’s 48 he’s worked under uh um David Griffin for the last several years he’s also been the assistant GM for the Brooklyn Nets up until May of 2019 had very good overseas career uh he did play three years for the Cleveland Cavaliers but he is one of those Rising Star type of type of front office guys um that is going to get a shot to redirect the Pistons from the doldrums of the NBA uh to something bigger and better so uh eron what what was the initial reaction to the hire of langon look I think all signs point to this being a positive signing for the organization Langan has a a very high regard around the league from everything that has been made public uh like you mentioned has worked under uh Shawn marks with the Brooklyn necks worked under David Griffin uh with New Orleans and I think something interesting to note is he was actually considered for David Griffin’s position before they ended up hiring David Griffin but they liked him so much that they brought him in as the team’s general manager and he has had a a very good resume in terms of drafting uh it’s been said he was very instrumental in drafting the likes of Trey Murphy and Herb Jones in that 2021 NBA draft with the Pelicans both those guys now key players for the Pelicans so much so that they’re talking about trading an All-Star player and Brandon Ingram to give them more opportunities so Lan has a really good reputation around the league he’s been talked about for years as an upand Comer and his rise has shown uh just how much of an impact he’s made across the way at his various stops throughout his career so I think just initially like this looks like a really good hire for the Pistons it seems like the clock could kind of run out on on the potential to talk to Tim Conley with Minnesota advancing to the Conference Finals you know I don’t know how much of a a a real thing that was going to end up being anyway or if it was always just more of a pipe dream for the Pistons and it was reported that it eventually came down to langon and Dennis Lindsay both had met with Tom Gores multiple times in person and off you know over the phone or anything like that and langon came away the Victor and so you’re bringing in a young general manager or excuse me president of basketball operations but he has a lot of experience and held in a very high regard around the league so all signs point to this being a good hire by the Detroit Pistons I I know the initial reaction from some people is probably going to be disappointment that it’s not Tim Connelly because that was the sexy name uh that’s been thrown around obviously we know his resume but look lon’s resume speaks for itself in a lot of ways as well and I think if there’s one thing that you’re going to be really excited about looking at what he’s done in the league it’s the role that he’s played in drafting really good players outside of the top five outside of the top 10 like you talk about Jared Allen Trey Murphy herb Jones these are all really excellent players herb Jones was just selected to First Team all defense um these are all really good players and none of them were taken in the lottery and I think that that’s a really important aspect to look at especially when you’re looking at Troy Weaver’s um abysmal draft record outside of basically the top five in Jaylen Duren he has not really found um you know you can argue Isaiah Stewart Isaiah Stewart’s a useful player but like there has not been real significant game-changing Talent selected for this franchise uh in the back end of the first rounds early you know midc round since Troy Weaver took over and I think with langon you have a a guy who has a lot of credibility he was Euroleague MVP I believe um he’s been under like you said David Griffin Shan marks and I think that when you look at the resume there’s a lot of things that are very appealing there is also and and Mike you said we would get into this there is also the question of where the Pistons organization goes on from from here uh now that they’ve made this higher and I thought it was very very interesting uh in Adrian Wow’s announcement that he said you know lon’s going to have the opportunity to sit down with Troy weer and Monty Williams and explore how they’re going to move forward and I think that that’s also a very very interesting choice of wording so um I think there’s a lot of positives to take away from this higher when you look at the draft record when you look at the Personnel record um I I think it’s about as good as it could have been without it being Tim Connelly um but let’s also be honest like Connelly would have been a home run this is a very good higher and it’s also a higher that we’ve discussed had to happen within this time frame you couldn’t keep waiting around so I’m happy that it happened when it did yeah I think the timing of it is I mean they they really waited as long as they could and you know maybe in five years three years we’re talking about how the Minnesota wolves ruined everything by going to the Western Conference Finals um and langon doesn’t work out but you know what everything speaks to him being the right higher um he’s young successful uh in a you know a very short amount of time has the playing experience and just kind of fits what the Pistons kind you know they need I think getting a retread would not have been the right choice either they get somebody in here with a fresh voice um and that hopefully has a plan in place and and as you alluded to we’ll sit down with Troy Weaver and will’ll sit down with Monty Williams to determine their Futures with the organization so Jasper since you had brought it up I’ll I’ll go right over to you first you know are are you firing one of these guys are you firing both of them in cleaning house are you going to keep them in place I mean there’s just no there’s just no need to keep both in my opinion I think getting rid of Weaver and keeping Monty to me is the most likely scenario based on what they’re paying him um but you know what is what is your opinion on Weaver and Monty as it relates to bringing in a guy that now has the power to get rid of both of them well if it was up to me they would both be gone but it’s not up to me and this is a a difficult decision for the organization I think tro eaver has to go I I just do not see how as a new president of basketball operations you can come in and be like I’m going to keep the same structure in place like Shuffle deck chairs on the Titanic you know move a c move on from an assistant coach or two or you know fire a scout I just don’t think that that’s that’s how you come in and set your mark and trejon langon does have to do that in a very short amount of time that’s just the reality of the situation when you win 14 games the year before um you you have to make drastic changes drastic moves to the organization and to the structure of that organization otherwise what are you really doing there like what’s really the point um if you’re only there to to scout then they should have hired him as a scout um I think at the minimum Troy Weaver cannot continue on as the GM of the Detroit Pistons that just it can’t it cannot it’s untenable it’s unsustainable he his track record speaks for itself and I think if you keep him around um what you’re doing is setting the fan base up to turn on you very very quickly as a president of basketball operations because they’re going to look at it and they’re go if arum’s still there and Troy Weaver’s still there and uh Monty Williams is still there and all you did was bring in Tron Langan what have you done you’ve just added to an already failed experiment so while I would take Monty and out to uh the the back of the shed and um you know wish him farewell uh I just think that there’s too much money too many years wrapped up in that I think that’s something that maybe you give him another season for and if it doesn’t work out after next year I think maybe then it’s goodbye for Monty but Troy Weaver is gone I I am so sure of it he is gone it would be a really tough sell to say we’re bringing in a new president of basketball operations but no other changes to to the leadership structure are being made and and that’s why I think both of them are gone it’s been reported that Tom Gores is willing to eat whatever money is desired by langon if he decides he doesn’t want W weaver or Williams uh with the organization and I think that just makes all the sense in the world right now you really do have to start a new you’re you’re a 14- win team with a lot of failed years behind you under Troy Weaver and Monty Williams did not help things the way that was expected by Tom gors when he overstepped and decided he was the head coach of this team over guys that were brought to him by the front office who in their own regard were not great coaching prospects at least someone like Kevin Aly who was a friend of Troy Weavers um but it just makes sense to move on from from both of these guys trejan langden is going to rightfully so want to bring in his own staff does someone like Bryson Graham the assistant general manager of the Pelicans come over with him as Detroit’s new general manager I think there’s also a world where he just steps into uh the Pelicans general manager slot he’s been with the organization for a very long time dating back to the fact that he was on Monty Williams staff when Williams was the coach uh in New Orleans so the point being Langan is going to want to bring in his own staff members and I think that that makes all the sense in the world as the Pistons are rebuilding the rebuild restoring the rebuild however they’re going to try to phrase it outside of like Kate Cunningham they have to essentially tear this thing down to its core and try to restart this thing you know I don’t know who’s safe on this roster I would imagine Kate is safe I would imagine assar Thompson is pretty safe after that you look at these core guys I don’t think there’s any uh you know reason why they’re have they they need to be considered Untouchable or anything like that and and and langan’s going to want to make those those changes I would imagine and I think that starts with with the leadership it’s it wouldn’t be optimal to run it back with the same guys that were a part of just the worst historical season in franchise history that’s one thing we can get rid of by the way the restore thing we’re we’re not doing the restore thing anymore I think that’s pretty dead restoration now I mean yeah restore part two electric Baloo can’t wait for it like oh my God yeah I think it’s also a good point you brought up there Erin um in terms of like who is then I think there is like a a big discussion on who the new GM is and who the new head coach is um so like if it’s just one or if it’s both of them there is a big task ahead of Tran langon approaching the draft and moving on forward because whoever you get into either one of those roles is probably GNA want to be in the room um when you do make that that fifth overall draft pick or if you trade it so I I think that there is a lot of work a lot of work that is to be done in the upcoming month or so um it’s it’s a big job ahead of trejon langon it is a big job but he’s gonna have the runway to make some sweeping changes which which is good you don’t want to bring in a guy with ideas and tell him that he’s got to stay in his Lane and do things a certain way um one of those things could be trading the fifth pick which we’ve talked about extensively and if you and listen to the full show uh that has already dropped uh we talk about some scenarios of trading that fifth pick but one of the players that we really didn’t talk about too much in that pod um that now makes a lot more sense as a potential Connection in a trade is is Brandon Ingram who was already considered a trade Target before the Pistons hired langon um however does does hiring a guy who was trying to move off of Ingram anyway and not want him on the team does that impact a potential Brandon Ingram deal with Detroit you know is he no longer a target for the Pistons because I mean there there’s a reason that the Pelicans were moving on from him he used to do a huge contract he had a pretty por showing the playoffs he dealt with some injuries and the fit with Lian Williamson just wasn’t really there anymore it sort of run its course um Aaron is is that deal in your mind is that dead for Brandon Ingram it does sure seemed like it after this hire langon obviously like we already mentioned was reportedly a big big piece of drafting train Murphy and Herb Jones and and so that shows where his mind is at in terms of the Wings on the Pelicans roster and the resources that they were putting in uh to those two players and yeah I I think when you’re talking about trading uh for a player that the team is seemingly trying to get rid of uh bringing in the general manager of that team sure certainly shuts those ideas down in in my mind and you know part of me thinks that Brandon Ingram would have been really good for this team the Pistons as I famously said on multiple occasions they they just need guys they just need some talent and Ingram has that uh but if langden has his own style of building this team and I think that’s obviously by far in way the most interesting uh interesting thing now to watch with this new hire is how does he want to build this team it certainly doesn’t seem like it’s going to start uh with trading for Brandon Ingram in any sense of of of the imagination and you know one other thing I’ll add to this just as a little side note uh he was you know a big part of the 2022 draft for the Pelicans obviously um him and Bryson Graham he talked about how much Bryson Graham has played a role in New Orleans uh drafting uh these past few years and this is a also a a president of basketball operations that at the time when he was the Pelicans GM had a chance to draft Jaylen durren with the eighth eighth pick decided to take Dyson Daniels instead I’m not sure how much you know that really means in the grand scheme of things but is Duren a guy that that could get moved in a trade maybe with or instead of the fifth pick um if maybe langon wasn’t a huge fan of him in the pre-draft process he certainly seems to be a more uh Wing oriented philosop philosophy wise as the team is as the Pelicans have just kind of made it work with Val Unis and playing Larry Nance is kind of a small ball five he seems to be more Wing oriented as someone like Jaylen Duran who he’s already passed on in the draft before becoming spendable but going back to Brandon Ingram yeah it just doesn’t seem uh nearly as as likely or or as possible now that langon is coming over I don’t think it’s uh been a too great of a relationship between Ingram and the Pelicans this past year or so and and that’s why they are seemingly at this impass now where Ingram’s probably likely on the way out and Detroit becomes one less landing spot for him I mean I’ll play Devil’s Advocate I don’t necessarily think it changes anything first off there were always going to be teams that could offer better packages for Brandon Ingram I think let’s be honest it you know were the Pistons ever really the front runner have they ever really been the front runner for Brandon Ingram I’m not quite sure um second off look New Orleans has a glut of wings young Talent ented wings and and guys who can really play that position I think that they gave Brandon Ingram plenty of time to see if that would work with Zion and and CJ McCollum and so on and so forth um just because he wasn’t right for the Pelican situation as of right now and I think most people would agree with that doesn’t mean he’s not right for the Pistons situation right now um talking about you know the glut of of wings on New Orleans roster there was a lack of wings on Detroit’s roster so I actually don’t think this changes much um if trejon langon is interested in improving the team and I’m assuming he is Brandon Ingram has to be on the table still as a potential trade Target look the Pistons are not in a position where they’re trying to advance in the playoffs they’re trying to advance to the playoffs like the play in would be a massive step forward for this organization right now so no I actually don’t think it FS um uh their their pursuit of Brandon Ingram whatsoever uh unless of course there is a broken relationship between Ingram and Tron langden I don’t know about that I could not tell you but I don’t think it changes anything in that regard for now Detroit needs talent and like if they can get it from New Orleans from Philly from wherever it may be they will take it and they should take it yeah the only thing that sort of comes up with Ingram is he’s going to be doing extension so you know are are you going to commit longterm to Brandon Ingram somebody’s going to but you know if he was having second thoughts about giving Ingram that kind of money he being L if he was having second thoughts about giving Ingram that kind of money in New Orleans you know the plethora cap space in Detroit might change that calculus a little bit the Pelicans sort of operating with with a different cap sheet uh and and a different timeline so I could see both sides um I hope it doesn’t take them out of the running for Brandon Ingram because they need good players and um as we’ve seen with some of these guys their their values have decreased there was a report that said that Darius Garland is now being more highly valued than Trey young I mean you know it’s it’s just all these wavering uh values you know the Pistons should not stop the pursuit especially if that cost you know might be going down um who knows so guys anything else on TR on langon being the new president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons um we wanted to keep this a little short as supplemental so if you have anything else um get it off now yeah I I’m just very intrigued to see uh how his philosophy takes shape with Detroit in what has been said so many times as a major major off seon uh for the Pistons it’s already been reported that he has the power to make sweeping changes to the roster to make sweeping changes uh to the leadership structure and so I’m very interested to see how quickly these things start to shake out of the tree now I mean this is a team that needs a lot of things it’s an organization that needs a lot of things and uh you have to hope that langden is going to come in and and finally be that that guy be that voice be that leader that can start to write this disastrous ship that has been Shipwrecked for far far too long so very very interested to see how things start to shake out for the Pistons and how quickly these things come to fruition same I for me it’s not a matter of like if Troy Weaver Andor Monty Williams gets you know fired um it’s a matter of when and who he’s going to be replacing them with and I think that that’s going to tell you a lot about Tron langan’s philosophy moving forward so his first couple moves have to be I think front office related I’m fascinated absolutely fascinated to see what he sees as the answer do you go after Bryson Graham from the Pelicans and really rip that organization to shreds or do you go in a different direction um it’s going to be really interesting and it’s going to be absolutely pivotal um with this upcoming season because Kate Cunningham extension eligible got another top five pick there’s some big big decisions coming down the pipe uh it’s going to be really f fascinating to see how trean Lon deals with them it’s definitely going to be fascinating and we’re going to be covering all of it um I’m so glad that we have more things to talk about than trading the fifth pick this is a this is a win for us content creators um we were we were starting to scrape the bottom of the Julius Randall barrel for trades um so very excited uh that Pistons finally having a pres of basketball operations it will be an interesting summer and that interesting summer start right now hey it’s possible by the time we record next week um we’re going to have uh some news about the GM being let go uh and potentially the head coach being let go and I’m sure that it’ll be released mere seconds after we stop recording the podcast um guys this has been great sort of a little supplemental I do want to plug uh the podcast if for whatever reason uh you haven’t been listening to us before uh you can go ahead and listen to our full show that dropped as we record this this morning we talked about the potential trades that pod is available wherever you get your podcast from and it’s also available on YouTube as well please uh again subscribe to our subst you’ll get all this directly to your email inbox every time it drops and please follow us on socials as well Tik Tok Palace Pistons X Twitter Palace Pistons Instagram Palace pistons and Facebook at Palace of pistons for my co-hosts jalon and Aaron Johnson I’d like to thank all of you for uh making some some quick time this morning to talk about the Pistons hiring Treyon Langton as the new president basketball operations and that’s going to do it for this week’s edition of podcast and i’ also like to thank our sponsor this week that is BET online gosh there’s like so much stuff I have to roll through here to end this freaking show um yeah so again thank you to our sponsor online I am mikang volano and uh we will see you all next time on the next edition of The Palace bu podcast part of the believed [Music] Network wit

In this bonus edition of the Palace of Pistons Podcast, Mike Anguilano, Aaron Johnson, and Jasper Apollonia react to Trajan Langdon agreeing to become the Detroit Pistons new president of basketball operations. Will Langdon keep either of Troy Weaver or Monty Williams? Does hiring Langdon mean trading for Brandon Ingram more or less likely?

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