Sources tell Vincent Goodwill and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports that four candidates stood out during the Pistons’ initial round of interviews for the position of president of basketball operations.
According to insiders, Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon, former Knicks GM and ESPN commentator Scott Perry, Dallas Mavericks adviser Dennis Lindsey, and Magic senior advisor John Hammond all impressed the group doing the first search. They are considered frontrunners to meet with owner Tom Gores, who wants to hire someone before the draft.
According to Goodwill and Fischer, Detroit may hold off on making a definitive decision until Timberwolves president Tim Connelly becomes available, repeating a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic earlier this week. Connelly’s contract has an opt-out clause at the end of the season, and given Minnesota’s uncertain ownership position, he may be enticed to depart the team.
The future of general manager Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams depends on who takes over the Pistons’ front office. This offseason will bring critical considerations, such as extending Cade Cunningham’s rookie scale and spending up to $64MM in cap money.
According to the authors, several of the top candidates have previously worked for the Pistons. When Langdon was a player, his agent was Arn Tellem, who is currently the team’s vice chairman. Perry is a Detroit native who began his management career with the Pistons in 2000 and was vice president of basketball operations from 2008 to 2012. Hammond was previously an assistant coach and assistant general manager in Detroit.
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