Trajan Langdon, one of the best shooters in Duke basketball history, played just three seasons in the NBA after being selected No. 11 overall in the 1999 NBA Draft after five years in Durham. He played only for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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But after retiring, the “Alaskan Assassin” enjoyed a stellar career that included a two-time EuroLeague championship and three-time All-EuroLeague selection, becoming one of the NBA's most respected front office minds. . Langdon spent several seasons as a scout for the San Antonio Spurs before becoming assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets in 2016.
In 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans named him general manager, a position he has held ever since.
Now, according to a report from Yahoo Sports over the weekend, Langdon, 48, is one of four people “emerging as a top candidate for the Detroit Pistons' president of basketball operations job.” The other three are former New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry, current Dallas Mavericks advisor Dennis Lindsay, and Orlando Magic advisor John Hammond.
Trajan Langdon would be a great addition to the Pistons. He has been a valuable leader behind the Pelicans' rebuilding efforts under David Griffin. He's ready to lead an NBA franchise. https://t.co/ETfhHTwAsR
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) May 20, 2024
The Pistons, who have not won more than a third of their games in any season since the 2018-19 season, are reportedly considering signing someone before the NBA Draft on June 26-27.
Interestingly, as Yahoo Sports noted, “Detroit's presidential position has been vacant since Stan Van Gundy held the position from 2014 to 2018.”
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During his time with the Pelicans, Trajan Langdon saw the team gradually improve season after season, going from 30 wins in 2019-20 to the regular season in 2023-24, along with a pair of former Duke University basketball players. achieved a record of 49 wins and 33 losses. Forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram showed talent as centerpieces.
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