Cade Cunningham looked every bit like the player the Pistons want steering this thing.
Detroit wrapped up its 2026-27 preseason at 3-1, and the bigger takeaway wasn’t the record so much as the way the roster started to come together. The Pistons still leaned into defense and shared responsibility, and Cunningham remained the center of it all while looking ready to drive another big season.
The point guard’s box score didn’t jump off the page, but his influence did. He controlled tempo, picked apart matchups, and kept creating clean looks for teammates.
He also looked more comfortable as a shooter, knocking down 50 percent of his 3s, while bringing energy on the defensive end. Cunningham earned first-team All-NBA honors and an All-Star starter nod last season, and after finishing fifth year in Detroit second in assists at 9.9 and 16th in scoring at 23.9, he has already been part of MVP discussion.
If that production comes with even better efficiency and continued team success, he has a real case to stay in that conversation.
Jalen Duren also ended preseason on a high note after a long offseason filled with contract controversy. Detroit’s starting center looked far more like the force the Pistons remember from last regular season, especially in the final two exhibition games.
His best performance came against the Minnesota Timberwolves, when he scored 24 points. J.B.
Bickerstaff has said repeatedly that the team wanted to ease Duren back in after the contract extension, but his showing against Minnesota was a loud reminder of what he can do.
The big man flashed the full package. He got to the rim off the dribble, knocked down a turnaround jumper, and kept showing the familiar lob connection with Cunningham in transition.
There were also signs of better rim protection and improved work navigating pick-and-roll coverage. After the struggles of last season’s playoff run, Duren’s talent is not in question.
The challenge is sustaining that impact through the regular season and into the playoffs, especially after he agreed to a five-year, $200 million extension.
Detroit also got an encouraging first look at Ebuka Okorie, the No. 17 pick in the NBA Draft. The 21-year-old point guard averaged just over 10 points in four preseason games and looked more polished than a rookie with that little NBA experience might usually look.
His handle stood out, and so did his ability to finish at the rim. Defenders had a hard time staying in front of him, even when multiple bodies were sent his way to slow him down.
That matters because the Pistons still need more creators alongside Cunningham. Okorie may not have a long NBA résumé yet, but Detroit has not been shy about using young or lesser-tested players when they earn it, including former G League names like Daniss Jenkins and Tolu Smith. If Okorie keeps flashing the kind of comfort he showed in preseason, Bickerstaff may have a tough time leaving him on the sideline.
There’s also a clear roster-building theme here: the Pistons want more ways to play, not fewer. Bickerstaff has been willing to go deep into his bench instead of shrinking his rotation into something conventional, and that approach could remain one of Detroit’s advantages in the Eastern Conference. The team has worked on using Cunningham off the ball more, while giving Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, Jenkins, Duren, and others chances to start the offense and take pressure off Cunningham.
The front office has reshaped the supporting cast too. Detroit replaced Tobias Harris by adding John Collins in free agency.
It traded Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies and plans to lean more on backup big man Paul Reed. The roster also gained more shooting and defensive versatility with Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince, and Kevin Huerter, who returned to the team.
The pieces are still being sorted out, but the path is clear enough. Detroit wants this season to be about blending the new additions with the foundation it already has, and some of those contracts could also be useful around the league if the trade deadline becomes a factor. However it plays out, the Pistons believe they can use their unpredictability as an edge.
In Other News...
Taurean Prince Could Fill A Pistons Need Bigger Than Expected
Taurean Prince arrived in Detroit as one of the more practical additions of the offseason, the kind of veteran pickup that can look modest on paper but matter in a few different ways once the games start. Over a 10-year career, he has bounced around the league enough to know different roles and different locker rooms, and that experience is part of why the Pistons brought him in alongside his shooting ability.
For a young team still sorting out its identity, Prince could wind up filling a need that goes beyond just spacing the floor. Detroit is trying to replace what Tobias Harris brought after his departure, and the Pistons are banking on Prince to help both the rotation and the daily tone around the team as the development push continues. [Read more 🡒]
Detroit Basketball Just Put One Of Its Own On The Pistons Bench
Marcus Stouts rise into the Pistons coaching staff adds another local connection to a bench that already knows the value of developmental work. A former Detroit Renaissance standout, Stout spent time at Fordham as a player and later coached in The Basketball League before joining the organization as an assistant with the Motor City Cruise, where he continued building his reputation around player development.
Now he gets his first regular-season look with the Pistons staff, a promotion that carries meaning well beyond the title. Stout has talked about how much it means to coach in front of his family, and his background suggests he arrives with the kind of perspective Detroit can use on a roster full of young players trying to take the next step. [Read more 🡒]
Cason Wallace Deal Makes Ausar Thompson Even Better For Pistons Fans
The Thunders long-term commitment to Cason Wallace adds another layer to how the 2023 draft class is being valued, and it gives Pistons fans a useful point of comparison for Ausar Thompson. Wallace and Thompson have been grouped together as two of the classs most promising young defenders, the kind of wings who can reshape a teams perimeter identity. For Detroit, seeing Wallace land a five-year, $139 million extension only reinforces the idea that Thompson belongs in that same tier of prized building blocks.
What makes the comparison even more encouraging for the Pistons is that Thompsons contract came in slightly higher, a sign of how much the league still believes in his upside. The two players are not identical offensively, with different roles and different paths toward impact, but the defensive value is obvious on both sides. For a Detroit team trying to stack young talent that fits together, Wallaces deal is another reminder that Thompsons value is very real, and possibly only beginning to show itself. [Read more 🡒]