The Detroit Pistons will be moving on from General Manager Troy Weaver, via Shams Charania of the Athletic. The Pistons' front office needed to make an immediate decision regarding Weaver's future after announcing the hiring of Trajan Langdon as the new president of basketball operations.
The Pistons are engaging in discussions to hire New Orleans Pelicans executive Michael Blackstone as the No. 2 decision maker to Langdon, via Charania and James Edwards III of the Athletic. Blackstone has been employed under the Pelicans basketball administration over the past several seasons.
Troy Weaver's Pistons run comes to an end
Detroit was never set up to channel consistent and immediate winning under Weaver. The Pistons have been awful under his leadership at 74-244, which equals a .233 winning percentage. The parting general manager was hired away from the Oklahoma City Thunder in June 2020. Weaver was nearing the four-year anniversary of Detroit's hiring.
After a brutal finish in last place with a 14-68 record last season, the Pistons were in a desperate situation where changes needed to be made. The team was plagued by a lack of depth, in-season adjustments, and the inability to stay healthy. The troubles led to in-game “sell the team” chants by the fans at home along with an NBA record-setting 28-game losing streak. Their 14-68 finish also cemented the worst record in franchise history.
Weaver agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Pistons back in 2022. The extension has not and will not kick in since being dismissed by the franchise.
One of the most promising things Weaver was able to do in Detroit was add promising young talent like Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson. They relied heavily on the young core's development to blossom, but it was never enough to turn the Pistons into a contender.
Cunningham is viewed as the franchise point guard, but Weaver has struggled to surround him with proven talent. The Pistons consistently stayed passive with their cap space and opted to acquire aging veterans or reclamation projects on expiring deals like Joe Harris, Monte Morris, Alec Burks, and others. There was also a controversial hire of head coach Monty Williams where Weaver and team owner Tom Gores did not seem to be on the same page with the decision.
The franchise direction now belongs to Langdon with Weaver exiting out of the picture. Restoring the Pistons will still be a tough task but the former Pelicans' general manager has resources to help turn things around with the NBA Draft and free agency coming.
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