Pistons mailbag, Part 1: On Monty Williams’ future, 2024 NBA Draft, Malik Monk and more

The Detroit Pistons’ busy offseason made some ground a few weeks ago with the hiring of Trajan Langdon as president of basketball operations. While that decision was the most pivotal move to come this summer, it’s not the final tough decision Detroit will have to make.

Per team sources, owner Tom Gores has given Langdon the ability to make changes to the front office and coaching staff as he sees fit. The first domino to fall in that regard came last week when The Athletic reported that the team and general manager Troy Weaver were parting ways. It is believed that the organization is now evaluating the coaching staff, including head coach Monty Williams, who signed a six-year, $73 million contract this time last year.

The 2024 NBA Draft is this month, and the Pistons hold the No. 5 pick despite having an NBA– and franchise-worst 14 wins this past season. Could they trade the pick? Free agency is not far away, either, and Detroit is projected to have $65 million in cap space, which is the most in the league. Will the Pistons use the space to take on bad contracts for assets and continue to build with the youth as the top priority? Will they trade to spend big to add more proven NBA talent?

All of these questions will be answered eventually.

In the meantime, I’ve decided to put out a call for questions to try and provide insight and some of my thoughts on these particular situations. Part 2 of this mailbag will be out Friday. Let’s get into it.

Editor’s note: Submitted questions have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Langdon is clearly qualified and deserving, but with the Pistons needing to show much improvement (and quickly), wouldn’t it have been better to hire someone proven, who’s already been successful? (Dennis Lindsey, John Hammond?) — @Nick_Nice21

I get where you’re coming from as Langdon has never been the head decision-maker running an NBA team, but I don’t think it is fair to say he’s not “proven.”

Langdon has been with the New Orleans Pelicans since 2019, and, to my knowledge, has had a very powerful voice when it comes to basketball decisions in New Orleans, despite being under David Griffin, who relied upon Langdon heavily. The Pelicans made the postseason three times in the five years that Langdon was general manager, and that is with Zion Williamson missing big chunks of seasons, including an entire season due to injuries. New Orleans also won 40-plus games twice in those five years. Langdon helped build a sustainable product off the heels of trading Anthony Davis, and, while the Pelicans haven’t won anything significant, it has been a legitimately solid team with and without Williamson while still building for the future at the same time.

Furthermore, Langdon was an assistant general manager for the Brooklyn Nets prior to going to New Orleans. He has the proper experience you’d want in a president of basketball operations. Also, he’s fairly young and could be around for a long time if things go well.

The Pistons tend to gravitate toward decision-makers, coaches who are headline-grabbing names, people who have had success elsewhere. It’s understandable, but it hasn’t worked out well for them yet. I like the idea of going after someone with something to prove.

Langdon has been preparing for this moment since he stopped playing. Every job he’s had along the way sets him up perfectly for what he’s about to embark on in Detroit. Just because he hasn’t done it, doesn’t mean he can’t.

Think about the first “big boy” job you tried to get. You probably didn’t have the experience yet to get it, but you know you’d crush it if given the opportunity. Then, you got the job and crushed it.

I’m all for giving someone new a chance.

Odds Monty is coaching the team next season? — @crowlick

This is the $1 million question right now, yeah?

I’m 50-50 on Williams returning. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Langdon’s introductory press conference hasn’t yet been announced and Williams’ future is still a swirling question. I don’t know this for a fact, but I can’t imagine Langdon would be trotted out in front of the media until Williams’ future is determined, one way or another.

Williams currently has two things working in his favor: he’s owed a lot of money, and he did not have a good roster last season. He’s not absent of blame for what happened this past year. But it isn’t disputable that Detroit’s roster wasn’t very balanced … or good. Over 3o players suited up. Thirty!

Now, on the flip side, Williams has some stuff working against him. The head coach got 62 games out of Cade Cunningham, who had a statistical season almost identical to that of All-Star Paolo Banchero, and still only managed to win 14 games (which included a historic 28-game losing streak). The year before, Dwane Casey won 17 games as head coach. He only got 12 games of Cunningham due to injury, had a lesser-experienced Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, and it was clear the organization was trying to win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes after Cunningham underwent season-ending shin surgery. Casey’s team still won more games than the one Williams coached — and Williams’ Pistons were trying to win. That’s a hard truth to swallow. When you didn’t think it could get worse, it somehow did.

We’ll see what happens. It’s just as possible that Langdon wants to give Williams one more year with a better roster — using next season to evaluate not just Williams but the young talent — as it is that he wants to get his own head coach in there.

Likelihood that (Simone) Fontecchio resigns? Realistic free agent options? — @jtsportsvisuals

The man dubbed Tek-19 — I dubbed him Tek-19, and I’m going to make it stick, damnit — has made it very clear that he wants to return to Detroit next season. He enjoys playing with Cunningham, he enjoys the shots he gets playing alongside Cunningham and has told me that he enjoys playing in front of the Pistons’ fan base. If Fontecchio were able to, he’d sign right now, I believe.

Even though a new decision-maker is in the house, I’ve got no reason to think that Langdon wouldn’t want Fontecchio back. He won’t cost a ton, is an elite 3-point shooter and can defend.

As for other realistic free-agent options, I think Detroit goes heavily after the likes of Malik Monk, Nic Claxton and Gary Harris. Monk feels like someone the Pistons will heavily prioritize due to the team’s need for legitimate 3-point shooting and off-the-dribble shot creation. Claxton would address the rim protection woes. Harris, despite usually missing several games a season due to injury, is the exact type of 3-and-D role player the Pistons could desperately use.

If the Pistons decide to keep the No. 5 pick, who is your best-case scenario at five (not including Sarr)? — @PeteyMac84

Earlier this week, I looked at prospects who fit the type of mold Langdon may prioritize in a player by looking at how New Orleans drafted during his time there. I came away feeling that, if Detroit were to keep its No. 5 pick, that it would prioritize a tall wing who has a good shooting base and potential defensive upside.

With all that said, “the best-case scenario” is probably France’s Zaccharie Risacher. I don’t believe he’ll be there at No. 5, but who knows. This draft is a crapshoot all up and down the board. Risacher is a 6-foot-8 (although he only has a 6-foot-7 wingspan) wing and feels like a connective offensive piece with upside defensively because of how well he moves his feet. His shooting this season overseas is promising, but he has to prove the improvements are real at the next level. Risacher has been lights out as a 3-point shooter in the top French league this season, but he was mediocre-to-bad previously and is shooting in the low 70s on his free throws this year.

There are concerns about Risacher’s finishing around the rim in the half court, but if his shooting has legitimately turned a corner, that and the spacing of the NBA could improve those numbers.

Two questions: 1) Is going after Lauri Markkanen realistic? 2) If so, what would a possible trade for him look like? — @WaltDPhillips1

One, it is not realistic because I truly don’t believe the Pistons could get Markkanen without giving up Cunningham, and that’s not happening. While Markkanen would fit in Detroit like a glove — as would be the case for Markkanen and 27 other teams — the Utah Jazz appear to have a very high price tag on him, and I don’t blame them.

Two, this won’t happen, but just to answer your question, here is probably what it would take to get Markkanen to the Pistons: Cunningham, the 2024 first-round pick, a future first-round pick, Isaiah Stewart and Jaden Ivey. I legitimately think it would take all of that to get it done, based on how I’ve heard Utah is valuing its 27-year-old All-Star. And, yeah, Detroit wouldn’t and shouldn’t do this. At all.

(Photo of Monty Williams: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)