Philadelphia 76ers: 5 candidates for vacant general manager role

4. Trajan Langdon, assistant GM, Brooklyn Nets

When the Philadelphia 76ers ownership sits down to target their next executive, there needs to be one resume outside of the normal pedigrees.

That opens the door for the current assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, Trajan Langdon. In his playing days, he was known as the Alaskan Assassin. Why? He set a Duke record for 3-point shots, which was later broken by J.J. Redick.

Following his basketball playing days, he joined the San Antonio Spurs as a basketball scout. Subsequently, he was named as the assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets. Since arriving at Brooklyn, the Nets have improved from 20-62 in the 2016-17 season to 28-54 in the 2017-18 season.

While that may not raise eyebrows too much, keep in mind that it is the Nets who have fueled the surplus draft picks enjoyed by the Boston Celtics these past few years. Meanwhile, it was the Nets who converted the expiring contract of power forward Trevor Booker into a 2018 second round pick plus center Jahlil Okafor and shooting guard Nik Stauskas.

Langdon provides a fresh perspective. Perhaps it’s a touch of the Nets “MacGyver-like” way of building a competitive roster. Perhaps it’s the sheer audacity of rebuilding a team from the outcasts of other teams. Whatever the underlying cause, he has front office star potential.