Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has only been on the job for about a month, and we’ve already learned a lot about him by what he hasn’t done.
When the first 48 hours of free-agency negotiations opened up, Langdon didn’t blow the Pistons’ cap space, like some before him have. A few more days passed and he still hasn’t signed players to long-term deals, like some before him have. He hasn’t rushed to pigeonhole himself into a roster by the middle of July, like some before him have.
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Langdon appears patient. He seems calculated. Just because something doesn’t seem like it’s going on doesn’t mean something isn’t happening.
A little less than a week into the free-agency negotiation period, Detroit sits with about $27 million of the projected $65.5 million in cap space it had coming in. There remains flexibility while Langdon was able to add Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley to a roster that desperately needed more proven shooting and players who, well, play. All three of Detroit’s newest additions have rarely missed games over the last few seasons. Langdon’s patience allowed the Pistons to get Beasley on a team-friendly deal (one year, $6 million) — one that, if Detroit were eager beavers as soon as free agency opened, might have led to them paying triple.
Now, the Pistons can still sit back and be a team that others look to in order to dump salaries, allowing Detroit to collect assets in the process. Only the Utah Jazz have more cap space than the Pistons, and there’s a chance that Utah’s situation takes a turn if Lauri Markkannen ends up being dealt in the coming days or weeks. Detroit doesn’t have anything as franchise-alternating in the cards, so rival teams may be more willing to call the Pistons as opposed to the Jazz if there is something immediate that needs to get done.
Options. Possibilities. Flexibility. All are possible because Langdon has been patient.
Surely, there are many outside observers and pundits who question what the Pistons are doing. Why are they trying to get marginally better when one of the best draft classes in recent memory is a year away? A fair question. However, for those glued into what the 14-win ballclub has been through in recent years, there is an easy answer:It’s time to finally build around Cade Cunningham.
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Being historically bad like the Pistons have been the last four seasons has only worked out for them once, in 2021, when the franchise landed the top pick and took Cunningham. Other than that, the organization has picked fifth three years in a row, despite combining to win 31 games over the last two seasons. The Atlanta Hawks, who have tried to be and have been good over the last four years, have had the No. 1 pick as many times as Detroit. The NBA’s lottery odds don’t reliably benefit terrible teams anymore. The worst team in basketball has a better chance at selecting No. 5 than it does No. 1.
Cunningham has really only played two seasons since being drafted. He missed all but 12 games in what would have been his sophom*ore season due to a shin injury that led to surgery. He came back this past year to put up borderline All-Star numbers while playing with a roster that lacked spacing. He was the rose that grew from concrete. If he were able to put up numbers identical to Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero with his best shooting teammate for most of the year being Isaiah Stewart, who just started shooting volume 3s this past season, imagine the possibilities. Langdon has already provided that, and Detroit’s offseason is far from over.
Mathematically, the odds of the Pistons attempting to be putrid once more and landing someone with the upside of Cunningham is low. It’s not just the 14 percent chance that the organization has landing the top choice (a.k.a Cooper Flagg), but you also have to count on their game translating to the NBA the way Cunningham’s has. Ultimately, Detroit has a simple approach given the great young player they do have: Let’s actually see what Cunningham can do with a roster better suited to his strengths. It seems like an obvious concept, right? Yet, it hasn’t really happened since Cunningham has been in Detroit.
Ideally, the Pistons are in a win-win situation by getting better around the margins. If Detroit somehow sneaks into the postseason, it’s likely because Cunningham with floor spacing around him is — believe it or not — a good thing. If the Pistons don’t sneak into the postseason, sure, there is a real chance that they won’t be bad enough to have the best odds at the No. 1 pick, but that hasn’t really helped them before, right? Additionally, the 2025 draft class is deep. There will be a really good prospect where Detroit selects in the lottery.
This offseason thus far has been about maximizing Cunningham, the most talented player the organization has drafted since Grant Hill in the ’90s. It would behoove everyone involved to find out how good Cunningham can be and how good this team can be with more players who complement his skill set instead of continuously diving into the abyss banking on luck and hope.
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Hardaway, Harris and Beasley are all legitimate NBA players, ranging from rotation player to starter. These moves aren’t helping the Pistons be title contenders anytime soon, but their skill sets allow the Pistons a chance to maximize Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, Jaden Ivey and even Jalen Duren. Non-shooters (minus Cunningham) need shooters around them. It’s that simple.
While addressing these holes on the court, Langdon has also remained flexible. Not only does Beasley have a one-year deal, but I’m sure several contenders will come calling the Pistons at the trade deadline for his services. The same could be said for Hardaway, who is on an expiring contract this season. Harris’ two-year, $52-million deal makes him a real threat to be moved a year from now or two trade deadlines from now, assuming he maintains his level or production and availability. If he doesn’t, Detroit is only on the hook for two seasons. These additions also allow the Pistons’ other young players to develop in a more restricted role, as opposed to being thrown into the fire like they have been since entering the NBA. That method, clearly, hasn’t worked too well. Every shot, dribble and pass that Thompson and Ivey take now won’t be life or death. In fact, they’ll be held more accountable because there are proven players at the disposal of new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, presenting the framework to make good basketball decisions.
Langdon’s patience and modern thinking are welcomed traits in Detroit, and no one may be more thankful than Cunningham.
(Photo of Langdon: Chris Schwegler / NBAE via Getty Images)
James L. Edwards III is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Pistons. Previously, he was a reporter for the Lansing State Journal, where he covered Michigan State and high school sports. Follow James L. on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII
