The Pistons didn’t land a headline-grabber this summer, but they may have quietly set up a better path for Ausar Thompson.
Detroit made 3-point shooting the clear priority in the offseason, and the hope is that the added spacing doesn’t just help the offense in general - it also changes what Thompson can do with the ball. Isaiah Joe, in particular, looks like the kind of bench shooter who can reshape some of JB Bickerstaff’s lineups and give Thompson more room to operate.
That matters because Thompson’s next step is pretty obvious: he needs to grow into more of a creator and attacker when he has the ball. His shot remains the big question, even if the usual offseason gym clips have surfaced showing a cleaner-looking middy.
Last year, Thompson rarely shared the floor with the bench, and the fit was part of the reason. Detroit simply didn’t have enough shooting, and it was tough to play Thompson and Ron Holland II together for long stretches.
That should change next season. Joe gives the Pistons an elite 3-point threat off the bench, which should make it a lot harder for defenses to collapse and cheat the way they did so often a year ago.
That opens the door for Thompson to handle the ball in stretches, whether he’s working on or off it alongside shooters. In those minutes, he could even run the second unit for a few possessions while Cade Cunningham sits.
And that’s no small thing, because Detroit isn’t just trying to tread water in the 14-15 minutes per game when Cunningham is off the floor. That was a real issue last season.
The Pistons also need more creation from someone besides Cade, and Thompson looks like one of the players they’ve clearly identified for a bigger job. Joe helps make that possible. Bickerstaff can now put together lineups with Thompson, Joe and another shooter, giving Thompson more space to attack as a creator - something he has already shown flashes of doing.
If defenders have to stay honest and stretch out to the perimeter, Thompson can go right at the middle and become a problem once he gets into the lane.
That’s why the additions of Joe, John Collins and Taurean Prince matter beyond just helping Cunningham. The spacing they bring should be even more valuable for a player like Thompson, who has a tougher time dribbling through traffic.
Last season, Detroit was one of the NBA’s easiest teams to defend. Teams could crowd the paint and live with the rest. More shooting should change that, and it could be the difference in helping Thompson take a real step forward as a creator.
In Other News...
Pistons Are About To Gain Two Trade Chips Worth Watching
The Pistons added a couple of familiar veteran pieces when they took on Taurean Prince and Gary Harris in the multi-team sign-and-trade that sent John Collins on his way, and even before training camp fully gets rolling, their long-term value looks tied more to the trade market than the rotation. Both players give Detroit some experienced depth, but the bigger appeal may be that they are movable contracts on a roster still shaping its next phase.
Detroit has more immediate business to handle, especially with contract extensions for Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson on the table, but Prince and Harris could become useful chips when the front office starts looking for flexibility. For a team that may need salary-matching help later, those deals give the Pistons another layer of optionality, and the timing of when they can be bundled in a trade will be worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Still Face A Bigger Risk Than The Jalen Duren Standoff
Jalen Durens contract situation remains one of the lingering items on Detroits offseason checklist as camp draws closer, but it is not the only roster issue hovering over the Pistons. The bigger picture is that the front office is still trying to steady its relationship with Duren while keeping the focus on a younger core, rather than jumping into a costly star chase that could reshape the teams future.
That caution looks even more deliberate when measured against the kind of swing-for-the-fences move Detroit passed on with Anthony Davis. Davis is extension-eligible, has not played for the Washington Wizards because of injury concerns, and the Wizards plan to discuss an extension with him during the season, which only adds to the kind of long-term uncertainty Detroit seems intent to avoid right now. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Face A Risky Kyrie Irving Debate That Could Change Everything
A speculative three-team trade idea has put Detroit in the middle of a familiar kind of NBA debate, one where upside and instability sit right next to each other. The proposal would reshape the Pistons roster in a hurry, with the conversation centered on whether adding Kyrie Irving would be worth the cost in depth, rotation balance and future flexibility.
The attraction is obvious for a team looking to accelerate its timeline, especially with another veteran piece in the mix, but the price tag in players and draft capital makes the whole exercise hard to ignore. Even as the idea percolates, the real question for Detroit is not just what it would gain, but how much of its present and future it would be willing to sacrifice to get there. [Read more 🡒]