According to Vincent Goodwill and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, four men have emerged as leading contenders for the Detroit Pistons’ president of basketball operations role.
“Trajan Langdon, Scott Perry, Dennis Lindsey and John Hammond have impressed in interviews and are front-runners to meet with Pistons owner Tom Gores, as the franchise hopes to fill the position before next month’s NBA Draft.”
The Pistons are utilizing a search firm to screen candidates.
Langdon is presently the New Orleans Pelicans’ general manager. Perry was most recently the general manager of the New York Knicks and now works as an ESPN analyst. Lindsey advises the Dallas Mavericks, while Hammond is a senior consultant to Orlando Magic general manager Jeff Weltman.
Detroit’s president job has not been filled since Stan Van Gundy served from 2014 to 2018.
They would like their new president of basketball operations to join the organization before the NBA Draft. Unfortunately, one of their top candidates for the post was not available. After being refused permission to interview Milwaukee’s Jon Horst last week, the Pistons have decided to pursue other possibilities instead.
Tim Connelly is one of the Pistons’ top candidates for the position of president. Connelly, the Timberwolves’ president of basketball operations, is an appealing choice for the Pistons due to his role in creating the Denver Nuggets’ championship-winning squad and the Timberwolves’ current roster, which is causing issues for the Nuggets.
Connelly could opt out of the final year of his contract with the Timberwolves; this would then pave the way for the Pistons to ramp up their pursuit of him. According to the rumors that are out there, an offer of about $15 million per annum might be enough to snag the 48-year-old executive.
Pistons struggled through 2024 season
The Pistons’ regular season was marred by injuries, roster changes, and losing streaks. They set a franchise record for the fewest wins in a season and had a league-worst record of 28 consecutive losses from October to December.
Weaver originally expressed his desire to see the Pistons play 82 meaningful games as an indication of the young franchise’s growth. Detroit was sadly unable to realize that wish after trying to establish any positive consistency over time.
The Pistons’ executive office has failed to provide their franchise point guard Cade Cunningham with the necessary assistance to create winning habits. Cunningham averaged a career-high 22.7 points, 7.5 assists, 45% from the field, and 36% from three. However, their numbers were greatly obscured by the team’s recurring losses.
Detroit has also failed to capitalize on opportunities to expand, such as generating top draft picks or surrounding its youthful foundation with appropriate role players who complement them.
The Pistons will have the fifth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft next month.
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