Trajan Langdon Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Pelicans, Draft, Hornets

May 21st, 2019 at 11:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

New Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon said leaving Brooklyn was a “very difficult decision” for him and his family, as he told Hoops Rumors and other outlets during his introductory press conference call earlier today. However, the chance to team up with head of basketball operations David Griffin again was too great to pass up.

“The opportunity to join up with Griff again and do something special in a place that nobody believes it can be done — aside from the people in this organization and the city — is something that is very intriguing,” Langdon said.

Langdon will serve under Griffin, but his roles and responsibilities are not yet fully defined. The two men previously worked together in Cleveland and are familiar with one another, with Langdon emphasizing during today’s conference call that Griffin is not a micromanager. Griffin said that their relationship allows them “to challenge each other in ways strangers may not be able to.”

Langdon aided the Nets‘ turnaround, helping the franchise rebuild, and was key in helping to build talent in Brooklyn’s G League team. The Pelicans will put out a G League squad for the first time in franchise history next season.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Pelicans and David Booth have mutually parted ways, Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Booth was previously the team’s Director of Player Personnel.
Charles Williams is withdrawing from the draft, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. Williams will enter his senior season at Howard University.
Francis Alonso (UNC-Greensboro) and Jessie Govan (Georgetown) worked out for the Hornets today, the team relays on its website. Dedric Lawson (Kansas), Myles Powell (Seton Hall), Marial Shayok (Iowa State) and Jalek Felton (Finland) also showcased their ability for the team.
The Hornets had several prospects in for a workout this week, according to Charlotte’s Twitter feed Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga), Charlie Brown Jr. (St. Joes), Jon Davis (Charlotte), Milik Yarbrough (Illinois State), and Markell Johnson (NC State) all worked out for the club.
Elijah Thomas (Clemson) worked out for the Hornets this week as well, per the team’s Twitter feed. Frankie Ferrari (San Francisco) and Garrison Mathews (Lipscomb) also worked out for Charlotte.

Pelicans Hire Trajan Langdon As GM

May 19th, 2019 at 3:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:33pm: The hiring of Langdon is official, per a release from the Pelicans.

10:40am: Assistant GM Trajan Langdon will leave the Nets to become the new GM in New Orleans, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The move completes a front office makeover for the Pelicans, who hired David Griffin last month as executive vice president of basketball operations.

Langdon impressed Pelicans officials when he interviewed for the top job in the organization, and the team was happy to be able to secure both men, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

He has prior experience working with Griffin, serving as director of player administration and basketball operations for Cleveland during the 2015/16 season, notes Andrew Lopez of The New Orleans Times-Picayune (Twitter link).

Langdon has been with Brooklyn’s front office since 2016. He was drafted by the Cavaliers in 1999 and played three seasons in Cleveland, but spent most of his career overseas.

Nets Face Management Makeover

May 19th, 2019 at 1:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trajan Langdon’s decision to become the new GM in New Orleans represents the third major off-court loss for Brooklyn since the season ended, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Langdon, the Nets’ former assistant GM and the reigning G League Executive of the Year, has been a popular candidate to move up the management ranks. He recently interviewed for jobs with the Timberwolves and Wizards, as well as the Pelicans.

The time Langdon spent as a player in Europe only adds to his value, Lewis notes. He has wide-ranging contacts throughout the continent and speaks five languages. He also has a scouting background with the Spurs and was responsible for assembling the Nets’ draft board.

Lewis sees Gianluca Pascucci, who serves as the Nets’ director of global scouting, as the leading choice to step into Langdon’s role. However, he is also reportedly a candidate to become GM at Olimpia Milano in the EuroLeague.

Brooklyn’s other offseason losses were G League coach Will Weaver, who left for a job with Sydney in the Australian League after leading Long Island to the championship game, and Chris Fleming, who left the Nets’ coaching staff to become the lead assistant to Jim Boylen in Chicago.

Lewis mentions ex-Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek as a possibility to replace Fleming. Hornacek joined the Nets for training camp, practices and some road trips and may be interested in taking an official position with the team.

Timberwolves Nearing End Of Front Office Search?

April 29th, 2019 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves‘ interview with Chauncey Billups for their president of basketball operations position will take place on Monday, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

According to Wojnarowski, the meeting with Billups will be Minnesota’s final interview. So far, the club has met with Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon, Nuggets assistant GM Calvin Booth, and Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas about the job. The Wolves also wanted to interview Clippers GM Michael Winger, but he opted to remain in his position with Los Angeles.

While there was speculation that the Timberwolves could further expand their list of candidates to replace Tom Thibodeau atop the front office, Wojnarowski’s reference to Billups being the “final” interview suggests that the club will ultimately offer the job to one of the four current candidates.

There’s been little indication of which direction the Wolves may be leaning, but Billups’ and Booth’s names came up most frequently throughout the season in the wake of Thibodeau’s dismissal. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders recently suggested (via Twitter) that Booth may be the frontrunner.

Besides preparing for the Timberwolves’ upcoming offseason roster decisions, the club’s new president of basketball operations will have to make decisions on GM Scott Layden and head coach Ryan Saunders. As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic explained last week, both Layden and Saunders appear to be in good position to return, but the new head of basketball operations will have the opportunity to consult with owner Glen Taylor on their respective futures.

GM Michael Winger To Stay With Clippers

April 21st, 2019 at 8:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers GM Michael Winger has taken his name out of the running for a front office position in Minnesota, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

Winger had been a candidate to fill the president of basketball operations role with the Timberwolves, but sources tell Krawczynski that he has elected to stay in L.A. and continue the work he started there. He was reluctant to leave an already competitive team that will have the cap room to offer at least one max contract this summer (Twitter link).

Winger has served as GM of the Clippers since 2017 and previously worked as an assistant GM to Sam Presti in Oklahoma City. The Wolves haven’t started formal interviews yet, so Winger didn’t have more than preliminary contact with them (Twitter link).

With one candidate off the list, Minnesota still appears to have a strong group to choose from, with ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups, Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon, Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas and Nuggets assistant GM Calvin Booth as the other reported candidates.

Wolves To Interview Nets’ Langdon For Front Office Job

April 19th, 2019 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

We can add Nets assistant general manager Trajan Langdon to the list of candidates for the Timberwolves‘ president of basketball operations role, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Woj (via Twitter), Langdon is interviewing with Minnesota for the position.

The list of contenders for the Wolves’ top front office job continues to grow, as Langdon joins a group that also includes ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups, Clippers GM Michael Winger, Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, and Nuggets assistant GM Calvin Booth. As we noted earlier today, Minnesota is working to finalize interviews with all of those candidates.

Langdon, who has helped GM Sean Marks rebuild the Nets into a playoff team, has become a popular target in recent years for teams revamping their front offices. So far this spring, he has interviewed with the Pelicans and been linked to the Wizards’ opening as well. Previously, his name came up when the Pistons (2018) and Hawks (2017) were looking to hire new executives.

Prior to joining the Nets in 2016, Langdon worked for one year in Cleveland’s front office and several years in San Antonio’s scouting department. The 42-year-old played professionally from 1998 to 2011, though he only appeared in 119 NBA games, spending the majority of his playing career in international leagues.

Wizards Notes: Robinson, GM Search, Satoransky, Green

April 13th, 2019 at 3:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

The incident that led to Devin Robinson‘s dismissal from the Wizards was a fight with Jalen Mills of the Philadelphia Eagles outside a Washington, D.C., nightclub early this morning, reports Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The Wizards issued a statement after the altercation saying they won’t extend a qualifying offer to the two-way player for next season.

Robinson and Mills were both arrested after the fight, which D.C. police say began with a verbal altercation. They wound up trading punches outside the Opera Ultra Lounge at 2:56am, resulting in Robinson being taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The 24-year-old recently returned from a hip injury that sidelined him for two months. He appeared in seven NBA games this season and one last year. Robinson’s agent refused to comment on the incident.

There’s more Wizards news to pass along:

David Griffin’s decision to join the Pelicans removes the potential top candidate in Washington’s search for a new GM, according to Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington. Losing out on Griffin may improve the chances that senior VP of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard will be promoted to the GM’s role, but the Wizards won’t be in a hurry to make a move. Owner Ted Leonsis said he plans to reflect on the situation for about three weeks while consulting with a search firm.
Danny Ferry, who served as interim GM in New Orleans and is the son of former Bullets GM Bob Ferry, has been mentioned as a possibility for the Wizards, along with Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon, who was also a candidate for the Pelicans’ job. Nuggets president Tim Connelly, Thunder VP of basketball operations Troy Weaver and Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren may also receive consideration, but Standig doesn’t believe Zarren is likely to leave Boston.
No matter what happens with restricted free agent Tomas Satoransky, he’s sure of which position he wants to play, Standig relays in a separate story. “I’m a point guard. I’m definitely a point guard. I will never be agreeing with someone that tells me otherwise,” he said. That’s where the Wizards used him after John Wall‘s season-ending injury and what his role projects to be if he returns to Washington with Wall possibly sidelined for all of next year. Standig states that management approached Satoransky about a long-term deal at mid-season, but he and his representatives preferred to test the free agent waters.
Jeff Green, who is headed for unrestricted free agency after signing a one-year deal last summer, enjoyed the chance to play in his hometown, he says in a video interview tweeted by the team.

Latest On Pelicans’ GM Search

April 4th, 2019 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans continue to make progress in their search for a new general manager, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic, who reported this morning (via Twitter) that the team was starting to conduct in-person interviews. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (via Twitter), New Orleans interviewed former Cavaliers GM David Griffin today.

Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune (Twitter link) has confirmed that, in addition to Griffin, the following candidates are on the team’s list:

Interim GM Danny Ferry
Warriors assistant GM Larry Harris
Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon
Rockets VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas
Wizards interim GM Tommy Sheppard

Meanwhile, while his name doesn’t show up on Duncan’s list and hadn’t been previously reported, Bucks assistant GM Milt Newton is also in the mix for the GM job in New Orleans, tweets Jabari Young of The Athletic.

It’s not clear whether all of those candidates reciprocate New Orleans’ interest, or if they’ll all interview with the team. Several of them are believed to be options for some of the other clubs around the NBA who are seeking new heads of basketball operations, including the Wizards, so the Pelicans won’t necessarily be able to hire their top choice.

Still, it appears as if the franchise is moving quickly in the hopes of installing a permanent head of basketball operations sooner rather than later. A big offseason looms for the Pelicans, as Anthony Davis‘ future will almost certainly be decided in the coming months.

Wizards Expected To Keep Scott Brooks As Coach

April 3rd, 2019 at 9:11am CST by Arthur Hill

The shakeup in Washington won’t include head coach Scott Brooks, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic. The Wizards fired GM Ernie Grunfeld yesterday as the first step in what could be a massive housecleaning, but multiple sources tell Aldridge that Brooks’ job remains safe.

Brooks has a 124-118 record since taking over in Washington in 2016. He still has two years left on his five-year, $35MM contract, so there’s a financial incentive for the franchise to keep him around. This will be the first time the Wizards will miss the playoffs under his guidance.

“I’ve spent one-on-one time with Scott just to tell him I expect us to do, work hard and play hard and continue to give the fans their money’s worth,” owner Ted Leonsis said Tuesday.

There’s more today on the shakeup in Washington:

Nuggets executive Tim Connelly is believed to be the top candidate to replace Grunfeld, but the Wizards will strongly consider promoting VP of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard, confirms Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington. Leonsis told reporters that Sheppard, who has been with the organization for 16 years, will get a shot at the GM post. “I’ve told Tommy it’s not lip service, you’re highly regarded and there’s other teams that want to talk to Tommy and when the time comes, we will interview for the top job,” Leonsis said. Sheppard is also reportedly being considered for the Pelicans’ open GM spot.
League sources tell Standig that others names to watch in the GM search are Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren and Pelicans interim GM Danny Ferry. Other possibilities include former Cavaliers GM David Griffin and Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon.
Figuring out what to do with the backcourt will be the greatest challenge for the new GM, notes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. John Wall may miss all of next season with a ruptured Achilles while making $37.8MM in the first year of his supermax contract, while Bradley Beal will be eligible for a supermax of his own this summer if he makes an All-NBA team. If the Wizards decide to rebuild, Beal could find himself on the trade market.
Grunfeld’s most significant mistake was targeting Kevin Durant in free agency in 2016 and not having a backup plan ready when he signed with the Warriors, Aldridge contends in the Athletic piece. Grunfeld spent two years clearing cap space to make a run at Durant, who never gave the team serious consideration. That meant parting with solid players such as Nene and Trevor Ariza. Grunfeld tried to sign Al Horford after not getting a meeting with Durant, but then gave $64MM to Ian Mahinmi and $26MM to Andrew Nicholson.

Pelicans To Interview Harris, Langdon, Rosas For GM Job

March 29th, 2019 at 5:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans have been granted permission to interview several front office candidates for their GM job, including Warriors assistant GM Larry Harris, Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon and the Rockets’ VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. More candidates are expected to be interviewed, Wojnarowski adds.

New Orleans’ GM position opened up when it parted ways with Dell Demps shortly after the February deadline. Danny Ferry has been serving as the interim GM.

Harris interviewed for the Sixers’ GM job last summer, which went to Elton Brand. Rosas was a finalist for the same job. Rosas also withdrew his name from the pool of candidates for the Pistons’ GM job last summer. Detroit eventually chose to hire Ed Stefanski as a senior adviser. Additionally, Rosas was seriously considered by the Hornets for the same position a year ago.

Langdon was a prime candidate for a Pistons front office position last summer.