Pistons make major front-office firing

Speed finger painter, Jarred Emerson, unveils the new Detroit Pistons logo on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at Campus Martius Park in Detroit. Mandatory Credit: Elaine Cromie, Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Pistons are officially going out with the old and in with the new.

Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic report Friday that the Pistons have decided to part ways with general manager Troy Weaver. The move comes after the Pistons recently hired ex-New Orleans Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon to be their new president of basketball operations, a position that had been vacant in recent years. Langdon is taking over for Weaver as the team’s new lead basketball executive, and Weaver is now being let go altogether.

The Athletic report also adds that the Pistons are now in serious talks with Pelicans VP of basketball administration Michael Blackstone to be their No. 2 in the front office behind Langdon.

Weaver, 56, had served as GM of the Pistons since 2020. But the team never once reached the 25-win mark over that span, culminating in a 2023-24 campaign where they finished at the bottom of the NBA with a franchise-worst 15-67 record. Weaver received significant criticism for the team’s struggles and was even heckled by Pistons fans during games this year.

Charania and Edwards add that the Pistons offered Weaver an opportunity to remain with the organization in a much smaller role as an off-site scout but that Weaver declined the offer. With the team now making a clean break from Weaver, it will be interesting to see if another prominent Pistons figure is next to go.