Pistons GM Trajan Langdon Talks Free Agents, Extensions, More
Pistons veterans Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., Paul Reed and Dennis Schröder will all be unrestricted free agents this summer. The additions of Beasley, Hardaway, Schröder and forward Tobias Harris; the growth of Detroit’s young core; and the hiring of new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff sparked a 30-win improvement between 2023/24 and 2024/25, and saw Detroit return to the playoffs for the first time in five years.
The Pistons gave the higher-seeded Knicks all they could handle in a hard-fought first round playoff series, but were ultimately defeated in six games and now face a summer full of possibilities.
Pistons team president Trajan Langdon seemed to be relatively open-minded about the aforementioned free agent quartet’s future in town during his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday, writes Omari Sankofa II Detroit Free Press.
“Maybe some of them don’t want to come back, maybe some of them get bigger offers elsewhere,” Langdon said. “It takes two to tango with our free agents and they have decisions to make. All of them were great for us. I think they’d all be great for us coming back here in terms of what they did for us and how they fit the roster that we have. I can’t give you an answer of which ones because again, it takes both sides to come together on a deal.”
Will the Pistons seek to upgrade the club’s roster around All-Star Cade Cunningham via trades? Langdon seemed to suggest that he would be receptive to trade proposals, but wasn’t looking to muck up his club’s developmental timeline after the first round playoff exit, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
“I’ve always said ‘stay patient’ and I’m not going to change in that regard,” Langdon said. “We’re going to listen to calls, we’re going to see opportunities. We’re always going to look at avenues to get better that we think make sense for us to improve. A big thing for us this summer is going to be to develop the guys we have – the young guys we have that are 19 to 22, 23 years old and have them continue to grow. If those guys take steps, we get better. That’s what we’ve focused on and putting people with those guys that can make them better. It was a pretty good formula this year, so we’ll look at everything out there.”
Here are a few more of Langdon’s notable comments from Wednesday’s press conference, via Sankofa and Langlois.
On the team’s massive single-season turnaround:
“After a couple days [to] reflect, hell of a season for us… I don’t know another way to put it. Surprising, gratifying. Guess it creates different expectations going into next year for us. We can see that both ways, positively and negatively. But I think there’s way more positives.”
On emphasizing offseason continuity with the club’s youth movement:
“All these guys will come back and that continuity with this, not only the roster but the coaching staff and his philosophy that this group has never had before… That will be a positive through the summer and through next season as well. The questions will be there, about what we do. Do we add another person or do we just build from within? Like I said before, we’ll look at all avenues and decide what the best avenue is for us.”
On wing Ausar Thompson‘s development in two abridged seasons:
“Ausar – it’s his second season and he had a shortened first season and a shortened second season because it didn’t start on time and he really didn’t have a summer, either, because of his blood clots. It’s exciting for us that he’ll have a full summer to train as a professional that he hasn’t had yet. To have the season he had without a full summer or training camp is incredible.”
On guard Jaden Ivey‘s possible rookie scale extension:
“He had an incredible first two months of the season and he helped this turnaround… I’m excited to see what his summer looks like and what he’s gonna look like coming back in the fall as well. He’s a guy that impacts the game on both ends of the floor and in-between and in transition. Adding him to the roster we have, I think, will create an even more explosive dynamic and something else that our coaches and players can use to help us win games and have even more success. I think he’s going to come back a better version than he was last to year.”
On Jalen Duren‘s midseason growth and his own potential extension:
“JD took a huge step after the first 25 games…. He was a different player the last 50, 60 games of the season. He got off to a slow start. We’re hoping we’re going to push him this summer as well and I think he’s willing to take that up to another level. If those guys take steps, we get better.”
Knicks Notes: Defense, Hart, Boston, Robinson
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau made a major defensive adjustment during the first game of New York’s ongoing series against the Celtics, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post (subscriber link).
The Knicks opted to frequently switch on pick-and-rolls, a shift from their regular season approach to those coverages. It threw the reigning champs out of rhythm, as Braziller observes, and has the Celtics back on their heels as they look for their first home win of the series.
New York survived Game 1, in Boston, with a 108-105 upset in overtime.
The pick-and-roll change has led to All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns being consistently switched onto ball-handlers, write Fred Katz and Jared Weiss of The Athletic. The club’s stated plan with this approach was to combat the Celtics’ outside shooting.
“(When) switching, (you’re) trying to take away some of their threes: catch-and-shoot, pick-and-pop threes,” guard Josh Hart said. “(We are) making sure when we do switch that the guy is not on an island. He has two, three (teammates) behind him ready to help, ready to step up, and just make it difficult for them.”
It worked: Boston, the most prolific three-point shooting team of the regular season, shot just 15-for-60 from long range.
There’s more out of New York:
- Hart was a major X-factor for the Knicks during that surprise Game 1 road win, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. The veteran forward helped New York erase a 20-point early deficit by keying a critical 31-11 second quarter run. “I think for me it’s always how can I find a way to spark this team,” Hart said. “Whether that’s knocking down a shot, making a defensive play, a rebound, you know, pushing in transition, getting an offensive rebound for an extra shot… That’s just kind of what I’m trying to find throughout the game, especially when you go down by double digits, you go down by 20. You’re just trying to find something to spark that team.” The 6’4″ swingman notched a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, while also recording three assists and two steals, in 45 minutes of action.
- In Game 1, Boston frequently took to fouling Knicks center Mitchell Robinson in an effort to stop plays and reclaim the ball, figuring his career 52.2% free throw shooting was worth the risk. He went just 3-of-10 from the line in Game 1. According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, it represents the opposition’s respect for how dangerous Robinson can be when he’s not a foul-shooting liability. Robinson’s post defense and per-minute rebounding make him a lethal contributor for New York. “I think he was a plus-13 when on the floor,” Thibodeau said of Robinson. “The reason they’re doing it is to try and get him off the floor. He gives us the ability to switch more but also rim protect and rebound. If they’re not in the penalty, then we can lean on him and go from there.”
- In case you missed it, Knicks wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges helped justify the price the Knicks paid to re-sign and acquire them, respectively, with huge defensive nights in Game 1.
Celtics’ Hauser Out For Game 2; Porzingis Available
Celtics reserve forward Sam Hauser has been downgraded and will sit out Wednesday night’s Game 2 clash against the Knicks, while center Kristaps Porzingis has been upgraded to available and will play, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
The updates don’t come as a major surprise. On Tuesday, Hauser was considered doubtful to suit up due to a sprained right ankle. Hauser had been spotted leaving TD Garden in a walking boot after Game 1, a 108-105 overtime New York road win on Monday. He had played for all of four minutes.
Hauser, 27, was a major three-point threat for Boston along the wing during the regular season, connecting on 41.6% of his 5.6 triples per night. However, even prior to the ankle injury, Hauser had been shifted into a more minimal role during the playoffs. In Boston’s five-game conference quarterfinal series against Orlando, Hauser averaged just 3.2 PPG and 1.6 RPG across 14.6 MPG.
Porzingis, meanwhile, departed Game 1 in the first half with an illness, and had been listed as probable to play for Wednesday against his former team. Porzingis was only on the court for 13 minutes in that contest. He went scoreless on four field goal tries, but did notch four rebounds and an assist.
According to Celtics play-by-play radio commentator Sean Grande of 98.5 FM Boston (Twitter link), Porzingis will come off the bench for the first time in the playoffs this year, with reserve big man Al Horford starting in his stead.
Central Notes: Bulls, Garland, Haliburton, Pistons
After a third straight play-in appearance that fell short of a playoff berth, the Bulls face an interesting offseason, as NBA insider Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) previews.
Chicago guard Josh Giddey submitted an encouraging performance during his inaugural season with Chicago, just in time for him to hit restricted free agency this summer. Gozlan notes that a club with cap space, like Brooklyn, could potentially give Giddey an offer sheet, but the Bulls will have the rights to match it. Gozlan projects that Giddey’s play could fetch him a yearly salary in the range of $20-$30MM.
Standout guard Coby White, who will be eligible for a contract extension next season, could earn a significant annual raise if he forgos an extension and instead waits until he reaches unrestricted free agency in 2026.
As Gozlan writes, veterans Nikola Vucevic, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, and Zach Collins are all on expiring deals, and many of those players could be moved in offseason trades rather than extended.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland is expected to be a game-time decision for the first contest of Cleveland’s second round playoff series against Indiana, reports Joe Reedy of The Associated Press. Garland sat out the final two contests of the Cavaliers’ four-game sweep of Miami with a sprained left big toe. “We’re just in this kind of area where you just got to kind of see day-by-day and see how it feels tomorrow morning,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said on Saturday.
- Cavaliers players are doing what they can to prepare for two-time Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “He always makes the right play and doesn’t really stat hunt,” sixth man Ty Jerome said. “He’s a winner. He takes and makes big shots. He leads that team. He’s a real definition of a point guard.” Six-time All-Star Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, meanwhile, respects Haliburton’s influence on his team’s offense. “He’s the head of the snake,” Mitchell said. “There’s a lot of respect for him and what he brings over there. At the end of the day, if people want to say that, they want to say that, but, you know, we don’t look at it that way. We understand how important he is to that group. He’s a threat, and we’ve got to make sure we try to find ways to neutralize him.”
- The Pistons submitted an impressive bounce-back season in 2024/25 that included their first playoff berth since 2019, writes Omari Sankofa II Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). Now, the club will see four veterans head to unrestricted free agency and also faces extension decisions on young former lottery picks Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, who will be extension-eligible. Sankofa unpacks the potential fates of these contributors and addresses other burning offseason questions facing Detroit.
Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Udoka/Popovich, Zone Defense
Seasoned Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, who has seemingly been getting better in each successive playoff game against Golden State, is confident that his young teammates will be prepared for Game 7, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
VanVleet scored 29 points and handed out eight assists while leading Houston to a 115-107 Game 6 victory to knot the series at 3-3.
“We got so much talent just as long as they don’t get sidetracked,” VanVleet said. “Game 1 it was like, ‘Oh my God.’ And then Game 3 on the road was a little shaky. But other than that, they are so good. Just go out there and play your game. I just try to keep them calm and keep them focused on just playing the game. Don’t get worried about all the other stuff.”
The Rockets fell to a 3-1 hole against the lower-seeded, more experienced Warriors, but their youth, size, and athleticism has helped propel the team to consecutive victories. Now, the action shifts to Houston for a decisive Game 7.
There’s more out of Houston:
- Longtime Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who retained his president title while stepping down as coach this week, gave his former assistant, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, some advice that helped him extend the Golden State series, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. Udoka had also played for Popovich on the Spurs, from 2007-09 and then again in 2010-11. While Udoka wasn’t willing to share the details, he said Popovich “gave me some pointers.” Houston is facing off against another Popovich disciple, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who played for him in San Antonio and was a Team USA assistant during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
- The Rockets’ intimidating zone defense is a big reason why they’ve managed to extend this Warriors series, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link). “It’s a weird zone,” reserve center Steven Adams said. “Yeah, I don’t know. It’s just like a bizarre one, but it works.” Per Lerner, Houston is employing a 2-3 zone attack. Two guards are positioned at the top of the floor, with frontcourt players handling the back line. VanVleet previously discussed the efficacy of the zone approach.
- In case you missed it, Hoops Rumors’ Luke Adams recently ran a poll regarding the outcome of Game 7.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Anunoby, Towns
The next major playoff test for Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson will be grappling with the Celtics’ All-Defensive backcourt, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post.
The reigning Clutch Player of the Year averaged 31.5 PPG, 8.2 APG, 4.0 RPG in New York’s first round playoff series victory against Detroit, while fending off top point-of-attack Pistons defender Ausar Thompson.
The Celtics’ imposing defensive duo of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday isn’t looking past Brunson either.
“Big-time player,” White said of Brunson. “Seems to make the big plays for them. He’s had an unbelievable year, and obviously these playoffs, he’s taken it to another level. … Try to make it as difficult as we can for 48 minutes.”
There’s more out of New York:
- All-Defensive Knicks forward OG Anunoby is preparing for his own massive test, in this case defending the Celtics’ best player, six-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I always have confidence [in OG] no matter who he is guarding,” Brunson said of Anunoby. “He brings that mindset every game. And so I have confidence regardless of whatever he is doing.” As Botte notes, former All-Defensive wing Mikal Bridges could also spend significant time guarding Tatum.
- After attempting a series-low 10 shots in the Knicks’ series-clinching Game 6 win over Detroit, Karl-Anthony Towns says he isn’t concerned about the drop in his field goal attempts — as long as New York keeps winning, writes Ethan Sears of The New York Times.
- In case you missed it, Holiday is looking to return to the hardwood early in the Knicks series after sitting out Boston’s last three playoff games with a strained right hamstring.
Central Notes: Schröder, Garland, Haliburton
Well-traveled Pistons point guard Dennis Schröder thrived in his role as a pesky reserve throughout Detroit’s playoff series against New York this spring, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post.
Following the Pistons’ elimination in a hard-fought first round playoff series on Thursday, Schröder is on track to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. After inking a two-year, $25.4MM deal with Toronto in 2023, he was moved to Brooklyn, Golden State and finally Detroit during the course of the contract.
Although Schröder has expressed appreciation for his experiences with those other clubs, he has especially relished his Pistons tenure.
“I think Detroit is one of the best situations I’ve been in,” Schröder said. “I don’t have to change my style of play, I can be myself. I got a coach who is going at the refs, who is not taking no crap. I’m like that. That’s the reason I’m in the league for 12 years. I’m 6-foot-1, I’ve got to find my way somehow. I love that I don’t have to change myself and I can just be who I am. My teammates embrace me. I just try to help every game.”
Across six playoff games for Detroit, the 31-year-old averaged 12.5 points per night with a shooting line of .491/.476/.813. He also registered averages of 3.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 27.4 minutes per game.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- All-Star Cavaliers guard Darius Garland is considered “day-to-day” ahead of Cleveland’s second round clash against Indiana as he deals with a toe injury, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link). “I’m not going to make a judgment either way,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said of Garland’s availability. “There’s some concern there. I could see it go either way. I think it’s something he’s going to have to deal with probably the rest of the playoffs.”
- Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton‘s father, John Haliburton, got into an altercation with Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo following Indiana’s 119-118 Game 5 overtime contest and series victory. In the wake of that incident, Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the elder Haliburton will stay away from all Pacers games for the foreseeable future. John Haliburton, who apologized to Antetokounmpo after the fact, tried to explain to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (subscriber link) what happened. “Watch the real video and you’ll see that it wasn’t what they thought it was,” John Haliburton said. “Yeah, you saw me standing there looking at Giannis; yeah, you did. But I wasn’t trying to intimidate him. I don’t intimidate nobody, I’m humble. I don’t believe in that, it was just one of those moments.”
- In case you missed it, Antetokounmpo faces an uncertain future following a third straight first round playoff exit and the Game 4 Achilles tear of co-star Damian Lillard.
Pacific Notes: Suns Coaching Search, Gregory, Lue
The Suns are currently looking for their fourth head coach in as many seasons.
Phoenix announced Thursday that it has elevated incumbent front office executive Brian Gregory to its team general manager role, while shifting former GM James Jones into an advisory capacity. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix (Twitter link), Gregory will start contacting agents of potential head coaching candidates immediately, with 14 or 15 potential targets expected to be on that list.
Gambadoro confirms, as has been previously reported, that the Suns are considered likely to hire a first-time NBA head coach this time around, following three straight disappointing seasons with very experienced coaches. Gambadoro tweets that Phoenix is expected to make its decision within the next two or three weeks. The Suns plan to cull down their initial candidate list to two or three finalists over a few rounds of conversations.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- As Phoenix’s new top decision maker, Brian Gregory has an interesting summer ahead of him. PHNX Sports’ Gerald Bourguet offers up a fresh primer on Gregory’s history and how he and new assistant GM Oronde Taliaferro will impact the Suns’ future. Bourguet notes that, though Gregory has significant experience as a coach, his front office experience is significantly more limited.
- After considering making a change to his starting lineup for a must-win Game 6, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters that he will keep his preferred first five intact after all, per Mark Medina of Sportskeeda (via Twitter). L.A. currently trails Denver 3-2 in the series.
- In case you missed it, Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic recently reflected on their first time suiting up against one another in a playoff series this spring.
Northwest Notes: Porter, Westbrook, Nuggets, Wolves, Thunder
Nuggets starting forward Michael Porter Jr. and sixth man guard Russell Westbrook have both been removed from the club’s injury report ahead of a critical Game 6 encounter with the Clippers on Thursday night, the team announced (Twitter link).
Westbrook, 36, missed most of Game 3 and all of Game 4 due to a foot injury, while Porter sprained his left shoulder in Game 2, and has been playing through the ailment. L.A., meanwhile is fully healthy.
In the four games he has played, Westbrook has averaged 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.8 steals per night off the bench against his former team.
Porter has struggled with consistency in this series, even prior to the shoulder injury. The 26-year-old is averaging 11.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.0 APG through his first five outings.
Thanks in large part to terrific play from three-time MVP center Nikola Jokic, guard Jamal Murray — and solid contributions from forward Aaron Gordon and wing Christian Braun — Denver currently boasts a 3-2 advantage over L.A.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- The two best Serbian players currently in the NBA, All-Star Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and reserve Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, are playing each other for the first in the postseason during this Denver-L.A. series. Although they’re friendly now, that wasn’t always the case, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post details. “We played in preparation games twice, and we played in-season twice. I didn’t like him,” Bogdanovic said with a laugh. “Because he was goofy, and he wasn’t hitting shots. He was just passing. … He could have scored one-on-one and everything. He was toying with (the game). That’s a good word. He was like toying, joking with it.”
- Oft-maligned Timberwolves frontcourt stars Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle were singled out by head coach Chris Finch for their contributions in the team’s first-round series win over the Lakers. Finch asserted that Gobert, who finished with a 27-point, 24-rebound double-double in Game 5, deserves more credit for his talent, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN. “Rudy’s a winner at the highest level,” the Wolves’ coach said. “You can not like who he is, how he does it, what he looks like, et cetera. When you have this guy on your team, you understand what a professional and a winner is.” Finch also believes that Randle has been given a bad rap relative to his ability. “I’d also just like to say that Julius Randle was absolutely huge in this series,” he said of the forward (Twitter video link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “Another guy who’s had a lot of unfair criticism in his career. We don’t win this series without Julius.”
- Thanks to a brisk four-game sweep of Memphis in the first round, the West’s top-seeded Thunder will enjoy an eight- or nine-day break before their second-round series begins and they plan to make the most of the time off, observes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “We always say, ‘The times in between the games are the days that you have to win in the playoffs,’” All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of the extensive layoff. Oklahoma City will face the winner of the ongoing matchup between the Nuggets and Clippers in the semis. “It’s good, obviously, physically, to rejuvenate,” head coach Mark Daigneault said. “Guys, I’m sure, are dealing with things here and there to get healthy, and it allows ample prep time. I thought we handled it really well, coming out of the regular season, getting ourselves ready to play at the start of (the Memphis) series. We’re going to need to replicate that this week as we wait for that other series to finish.”
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Bronny, Redick, Offseason
After getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for a second straight season, 21-time All-Star Lakers forward LeBron James was noncommittal about his future in the NBA.
The four-time MVP holds a lucrative $52.6MM player option for the 2025/26 season, which would be his record-setting 23rd in the league. At 40, James has been the NBA’s oldest player for two straight years. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, it is anticipated that James will at least return to suit up next season, as he noted on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube video link).
“There’s no expectation for LeBron James to retire,” Charania said (hat tip to RealGM). “I will say that my sense, my understanding is he will play at least another NBA season. You think about next year, it’ll be year 23, that would set a league record. Year 23 for number 23. The All-Star game is in Los Angeles. He’s potentially playing in Los Angeles. There’s a lot of stars that would align for next season, potentially, if that’s what LeBron James decides. He’d be 41 years old in December.”
James put up impressive averages of 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in L.A.’s 4-1 first round loss to Minnesota, but he often appeared exhausted by the fourth quarter of those bouts.
“And the other thing is does Bryce James, his son, does that factor play into it at all?” Charania said. “His son is going to be potentially draft-eligible in 2026 next year. So if he feels at some point next year Bryce James might be an NBA player. Might be a draft-eligible player, does he extend that window? I think that’s the only potential carrot caveat that you think of out there that could keep LeBron James even longer than at least one more year.”
Bryce James has committed to play at Arizona in 2025/26.
There’s more out of Los Angeles:
- LeBron James’ eldest son, Bronny James, was a deep-bench rookie guard with the Lakers this past season. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link), the 20-year-old verified after Wednesday’s loss that he will return to suit up in Summer League activities with L.A. for the second straight season.
- After a generally successful 50-win regular season, first-year Lakers head coach JJ Redick had a strange playoff run during a 4-1 first round elimination to the Timberwolves, opines Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Swanson noted that Redick’s unusual coaching choices may have contributed to L.A.’s expedient exit. Redick played just five players for the entire second half of an eventual Game 4 defeat, and subsequently insisted that the club’s late-game failings were not a result of clear fatigue. Redick also opted to play reserve big man Maxi Kleber in Game 5 in his first game as a Laker after a three-month recovery from foot surgery. The Lakers, who essentially opted against using a traditional center in Game 5, surrendered 56 paint points and 20 second-chance points to Minnesota in the loss.
- The Lakers now head into an uncertain offseason, as Mark Deeks of HoopsHype and Bobby Marks of ESPN observe in their respective summer previews. Beyond James’ contract decision, forward Dorian Finney-Smith also has a $15.4MM player option for 2025/26. The Lakers could offer five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension as of August 2. Veteran players on sizable deals like forward Rui Hachimura, guard Gabe Vincent, and Kleber could all be used to match salaries should Los Angeles look to acquire perimeter or center help on the trade market.