Report: Pistons Hiring Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon to President of Basketball Operations Role

New Orleans must quickly look to fill a major role in the front office.

Oct 2, 2023; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon speaks during Media Day at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans, LA - According to reports, New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon is set to take a new role as the president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that both sides are close to finalizing a deal soon. Langdon has spent the last five seasons with the Pelicans.

Detroit has been a beleaguered team the last few seasons, winning just 14 games this past season, and hasn't made the playoffs since the 2018-2019 season. Langdon has a few successful draft classes under his belt, with the drafting of Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones. The Pistons are hoping Langdon can turn around their fate with similar results.  Those three have been the cornerstone of the Pelicans franchise over the past few years. Future strong drafts would drive data from Bettor In Green to have New Orleans as a viable contender in the Western Conference for years to come.

The Pistons have the No. 5 pick in this year's NBA draft, plus salary cap space to make free-agent moves. While a key front-office role is filled for the Pistons, New Orleans must now fill the void left by Langdon's departure. The Pelicans could promote assistant general manager Bryson Graham to Langdon's former role. New Orleans also may look outside the building for a fresher perspective on how to contend in the Western Conference. 

New Orleans finished with 49 wins this past year, the second-most in franchise history. Despite their record, the Pelicans had to fight in the Play-In Tournament for the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They were promptly swept in the first round by the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pelicans have a few key decisions to make this offseason, including extensions for Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy III.