The Detroit Pistons get a quick chance to bounce back Sunday in Las Vegas, where they’ll meet the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Thomas & Mack Center after both teams opened the 2026 NBA Summer League at 0-1.
Detroit dropped its first game 101-93 to the Philadelphia 76ers, while Cleveland came up short in a 99-93 loss to the Indiana Pacers. So Sunday offers both clubs a shot at their first win of the offseason showcase.
Even in defeat, the Pistons found some bright spots against Philadelphia, and the biggest came from No. 17 overall pick Ebuka Okorie. The first-round selection out of Stanford made a strong first impression in his Detroit debut, finishing with 20 points and four assists on 8-of-16 shooting, plus two made three-pointers.
Okorie also made his presence felt defensively, adding two steals. His third-quarter burst helped fuel Detroit’s comeback push before the Pistons ultimately fell short.
Isaac Jones turned in another encouraging performance for Detroit as well. The two-way center scored 22 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished one assist while shooting 9-of-15 from the floor. Jones, who appeared in four games for the Pistons last season and averaged 1.5 points per game, is trying to strengthen his case for a permanent roster spot and will look to carry that momentum into Sunday’s matchup.
After facing Cleveland, Detroit won’t have much time to reset. The Pistons are back on the floor Monday night against the New York Knicks at the Cox Pavilion, then close out their scheduled Summer League slate Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET against the Phoenix Suns on ESPNU.
Detroit’s fifth Summer League game has not yet been set and will depend on what happens over the team’s three remaining scheduled contests. Only the top four teams advance to the semifinals, keeping alive a path to the championship.
A win over the Cavaliers would keep the Pistons in the mix. A loss would likely end that run.
In Other News...
Pistons May Already Have Their Second Unit Answer In House
With Caris LeVert gone, the Pistons are left sorting out who handles the extra playmaking work for the second unit, and Kevin Huerter has quickly become the name to watch. He arrived at the trade deadline last season and, even in a limited sample, showed enough offensive and defensive value to make the bench look more functional when he was on the floor.
Huerters case is tied to health as much as role, since his first stretch in Detroit came while he was battling hip and adductor issues. Daniss Jenkins also gives the Pistons another backup point guard option, but the bigger question now is how much of the second-unit offense Huerter can shoulder once he is fully available. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Still Left Cade Cunningham With The Same Huge Question
Detroit added depth and draft capital in the six-team deal, bringing in John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris, but the move still left the same basic problem hanging over the roster. None of those additions is the kind of second star or primary creator Cade Cunningham needs, and the front office also used the 17th pick on Ebuka Okorie without really solving the immediate playmaking issue.
For a team trying to move from promising to dangerous, that leaves the Cunningham-Jalen Duren-Ausar Thompson core with the same awkward questions about shooting, shot creation and overall offensive punch. Trajan Langdon has bought himself some flexibility, but another playoff stumble would only sharpen the scrutiny on whether he is the right person to find Cunningham a true No. 2. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons May Have One Unexpected Shot To Finally Help Cade
Detroits search for a real offseason boost around Cade Cunningham has been stuck in the same familiar place: limited cap room, few clean paths and a market that has not exactly broken the Pistons way. That is why the conversation keeps circling back to possible value plays, the kind of move that does not require a full reset of the roster but could still give Cunningham a more workable supporting cast.
Jonathan Kuminga fits that conversation better than most, even if Detroit has not been officially tied to him. The appeal is obvious enough - a young, talented wing who might be reachable on a prove-it arrangement, with a sign-and-trade as one possible route if the market develops that way. For a team still trying to find the right next step, the question is whether this is the rare swing worth taking. [Read more 🡒]