Believe it or not, Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon wasn’t just asked about Jalen Duren’s holdout. Langdon fielded questions on other topics, including Ausar Thompson’s extension and where Detroit stands in an improving Eastern Conference. I also asked Detroit’s key decision-maker how he plans to use his draft assets. Is he willing to push his chips in the middle of the table? Or is he playing the asset-acquisition game and replenishing through the draft? Langdon gave insight into his thought process, and the response was revealing.
Trajan Langdon Will Look at Every Option to Improve
When asked about the balance between “screw them picks” and “building the war chest,” Langdon told reporters, “We are always looking for ways to get better. Sometimes it’s through trades with draft picks, whether you are sending them or receiving them. We have an exceptional strategy analytics group that I think has put us in a really good position with things that we’ve done and players we’ve acquired these past two seasons.”
When it comes to trading picks for immediate roster improvement, Langdon added, “We’ll always look at (opportunities for trades), but it has to be the right value, the right time, and the right player for us.”
Isaiah Joe and Kevin Huerter Were Prime Examples
Langdon then used the opportunity to explain how additions like Kevin Huerter and Isaiah Joe fit that example. “Talking about a player we brought in this offseason with two second-round picks was Isaiah Joe, which we are extremely excited about. I think he’s going to help on both ends of the floor and obviously brings a championship pedigree. We didn’t use any picks to acquire Kevin Huerter, but I do believe if he had been on the roster and he wasn’t hurt, we could’ve won the second series (against the Cavaliers) and gone on. He looks great in the summer; we’re looking forward to having him back.”
The Joe trade cost Detroit two second-round picks in June. The Huerter deal cost the Pistons Jaden Ivey rather than draft capital, and Detroit actually came away with a protected first-round swap from Minnesota. Huerter’s health is the part worth watching: he aggravated a groin injury in the playoffs and had surgery to clean it up over the summer, and he has since said he is healthy.
The War Chest Is Still Intact
The Pistons clearly believe in what they’ve built, and as they should. They won 60 games last season and came a game short of the conference finals without giving up future draft assets. But if results start to stagnate and changes are needed, spending those picks might be the only answer on the table.
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