Pistons GM Singles Out Former Warriors Player as Longtime Target

Trajan Langdon has had eyes on Lindy Waters for a while.

Jan 9, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Lindy Waters III (43) dribbles against Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (00) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Trajan Langdon’s first NBA trade deadline as the leader of the Detroit Pistons front office is in the rearview.

Coming out, the Pistons pretty much kept the roster intact while adding a couple of new options. One of them is a former Golden State Warriors player, who Langdon has had eyes on for quite some time.

“Specifically, Lindy [Waters] was a guy that I liked,” Langdon told reporters during his post-trade deadline press conference. “I saw him a lot, obviously, we were in the same division when I was in New Orleans, and he was in OKC. So, I saw his growth.”

Langdon said Waters was a player he had been targeting and followed for a long time: “Specifically Lindy was a guy that I liked. I saw him a lot, obviously we were in the same division when I was in New Orleans and he was in OKC, so I saw his growth.”

— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) February 7, 2025

Coming out of Oklahoma State, Waters went undrafted in 2020. He played outside of the NBA until 2021 when Waters signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate.

In February 2022, Waters landed a two-way contract with the Thunder. A few weeks later, he signed a standard deal and continued working with the OKC Blue in the G League on assignment.

Over three seasons in OKC, Waters made 104 appearances. He posted averages of five points while shooting 42 percent from the field and 38 percent from three on four attempts per game.

During the 2024 offseason, the Thunder traded Waters to the Golden State Warriors. Throughout the 2024-2025 NBA season, Waters appeared in 38 games, even picking up a career-high nine starts.

Waters averaged 17 minutes of action in Golden State. He put up six points per game while knocking down 33 percent of his threes.

When the Warriors looked to make a major addition, adding Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat, Waters ended up getting included in the five-team blockbuster. The Pistons helped facilitate the deal, and acquired Waters and Dennis Schroder in the process.

While Schroder has made most of the headlines as the most notable acquisition for Detroit this month, Waters is somebody the front office seems quite excited about.