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May 19, 2026 ~ Pistons’ President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon speaks to the media at the end of season press conference.
DETROIT, MICH. ~ After losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Sunday night, the Detroit Pistons and President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon are turning the page to the offseason.
Detroit will have a number of decisions to make as a contract extension for All-Star center Jalen Duren looms large, but Langdon shared his enthusiasm about the future of the roster which finished atop the East in the regular season for the first time since 2007.
“I think our guys did a lot of good things and valuable lessons learned,” Langdon said Tuesday afternoon. “That last game will sting. It’ll be painful for some time, but very rarely is there growth without pain. And I think our guys felt that last season and took a step this season. I think they’re gonna do the same thing with this summer.”
The Pistons will have a multitude of options to go about improving the roster, especially through the 2026 NBA Draft, where they will have the 21st selection after receiving a pick swap in the Jaden Ivey trade. Spacing, rebounding, and ball handling all were glaring deficiencies in Detroit’s playoff roster, so adding a guard like Bennett Stirtz from Iowa makes sense.
Ever since the trade deadline, national media has linked Detroit as a suitor for a second scoring option next to All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham. A name that has come up multiple times is New Orleans’ forward Trey Murphy III, who has familiarity with Langdon along with a skillset that would fit seamlessly in Detroit. The price has been rumored to be costly, but his 21.5 points per game could be the difference in advancing deeper in the postseason in 2027.
