Ever since Trajan Langdon was appointed as Detroit‘s new president of basketball operations, heads are starting to roll. This is only the beginning of his revolution, and it only took him three days in charge to fire Troy Weaver as general manager. The news was announced this Monday, as the Pistons hope to rebuild the franchise.
It is understandable why the Michigan franchise is hoping to make radical changes with long-term commitments, as they’ve been the league’s worst record in the past two seasons, having only won 23% of their games in four years with Weaver in charge of the squad.
Club owner Tom Gores showed Troy his gratitude. “I very much appreciate all the dedication Troy displayed to our Pistons franchise,” he said in a statement. “As much as we have struggled lately, we will look back and see Troy as an important person in the remaking of the Pistons.”
DBusiness Daily Update: Detroit Pistons Name Trajan Langdon President, Parts Way with GM Troy Weaver, and More https://t.co/4icH0iWobq
— DBusiness Magazine (@dbusiness) June 3, 2024
“He took the pain of rebuilding head on and he did the hard work to get us the flexibility we have today,” Tom added. “He also assembled a great core of young men with tremendous skill and character to give us a path to the future. Make no mistake, I have real appreciation for who Troy is as a person and what he has meant to the organization. I wish him the very best as he pursues his ventures.”
The Pistons first hired Weaver almost four years ago after he managed the Oklahoma City Thunder for 12 years, including three campaigns as vice president of basketball operations. However, they were 74-244 overall under his guidance in Detroit.
The team announced at the end of this season, which will always be marked by their 28-consecutive defeats, that they were now looking for new leadership. They started out by hiring Langdon, who had a positive impact working as the New Orleans Pelicans manager since 2019.
Trajan will now report directly to the Pistons owner. “I have committed to building a front office in Detroit that brings together the most advanced capabilities and creative basketball minds,” said Gores in a statement.
Langdon is ‘excited for the opportunity’ to rebuild the Pistons franchise as he hopes to provide his 12-year experience
Trajan is a 48-year-old former player who brings 12 years of NBA front office experience to Detroit. Even before his time with the Pelicans in 2019, he worked for other franchises like the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs.
“It’s an honor for me to join the Detroit Pistons and I’m excited for the opportunity,” he shared in a statement. “I have spent considerable time with Tom over the past few weeks and am fully aligned with his expectations for the challenge ahead. The work starts immediately, and I appreciate Tom giving me the opportunity to build on the foundation that has been laid and help this team compete at the highest level.”
His new boss Tom Gores explained why he believes Langdon is a great fit for the Detroit club, as he’s worked his way up through success, as well as working in many different departments, not just as an executive.
“Trajan is an accomplished front office executive with an impressive track record. He’s worked his way up and seen it all as a player, scout and executive,” the owner assured. “He’s been successful at every level. I’m confident he will very swiftly get us to the standard of excellence I expect from every business.”
