While the Los Angeles Lakers let it slip before the weekend that they are not going to hire anybody to replace Magic Johnson after Johnson’s abrupt departure at the end of the regular season, the team they are hoping to trade with is loading up on experienced front office talent.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Sunday morning that the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to hire Trajan Langdon to be the team’s new general manager under executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin.
Langdon was recently named the G League Executive of the Year for his work with the Long Island Nets, which made it to the G League Finals this season. He will join Griffin, as well as former Phoenix Suns head trainer Aaron Nelson, in efforts to rebuild the Pelicans franchise.
So, while the Los Angeles Lakers are going with Rob Pelinka and Kurt Rambis, a duo with less than four years of front office experience between them, the Pelicans have Griffin and the reigning G League Executive of the Year on their side.
The Lakers may actually have a chance to deal for Anthony Davis, but this time they will be doing so with a little less leverage, and negotiating with a front office whose experience and league-wide respect dwarfs theirs.
