Paul Reed is about to find out whether his game can hold up when the training wheels come off.
After the Detroit Pistons traded Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies, Reed suddenly sits in the center of a much bigger conversation. He has long been the fan favorite in the room, the big man whose energy and edge kept people asking for more minutes.
Now the minutes are coming. The question is whether he can do the same damage when the role gets real.
That’s the crux of Detroit’s bet. If the Pistons are going to make sense of moving one of the NBA’s best defensive players, Reed has to show he can scale up without losing what makes him dangerous.
On paper, the case is eye-catching. In 2025-26, Reed posted per-36 averages of 20.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 5.2 offensive boards, 3.2 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 2.3 steals while shooting .617/.325/.664.
Those numbers weren’t just good; they were unique. He was the only player in the league to average at least 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per 36 minutes, and the only one to put up at least 20.0 points and 5.0 offensive rebounds per 36.
The catch is obvious. Reed played just 13.9 minutes per game in 2025-26.
That’s a very different job than logging 20-plus minutes night after night, and there’s no way to pretend otherwise. The energy that makes Reed pop in short bursts has to survive a heavier workload now.
Detroit will need that workload to translate into actual production, because Stewart leaves behind a massive defensive standard. He finished 2025-26 in the 98th percentile in rim protection and the 88th percentile in rim deterrence, per Basketball Index. He was No. 2 in the NBA in rim disruption, and he also ranked in the 99th percentile in screener mobile defense and the 94th percentile in screener rim defense.
In other words, Reed isn’t just filling minutes. He’s being asked to step into the space vacated by one of the league’s best rim protectors and pick-and-roll disruptors.
The encouraging part for Detroit is that Reed was right there with Stewart in a lot of those same areas. He ranked in the 95th percentile in rim protection, the 97th percentile in rim disruption, the 96th percentile in screener mobile defense, and the 91st percentile in screener rim defense.
Still, the leap is real. Doing that in 13.9 minutes per game is one thing. Holding it together over a much larger workload is another, especially when Reed has to keep that same level of activity while adjusting to tougher expectations from inside and outside the building.
That’s the test ahead. Reed has the statistical profile.
He has the energy. What he still has to prove is that it all survives in a much bigger role.
In Other News...
Pistons Suddenly Have A Jalen Duren Trade Decision They Can't Ignore
Jalen Durens contract situation has already become one of the more uncomfortable questions hanging over Detroits offseason, and now it has spilled into the trade market. Bleacher Report floated a deal that would send the young center to Milwaukee, with the idea framed as a way to break the tension around his negotiations with the Pistons while also giving Detroit a look at a different kind of frontcourt fit.
The proposal is built around a return of Myles Turner, Ryan Rollins and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, which at least gives the Pistons a real conversation to have if the relationship keeps trending sideways. The bigger issue is whether Duren might be leaning toward the qualifying offer, a move that would put Detroit in a tougher spot and potentially force the team to consider a sign-and-trade path rather than letting the matter linger much longer. [Read more 🡒]
John Collins Faces A Scoring Test Detroit Desperately Needs Him To Pass
The Pistons decision to swap John Collins in at power forward comes with a clear offensive message: they need more scoring from that spot than Tobias Harris provided. Collins has long been known for efficient shooting and the kind of post-up touch that can punish smaller defenders, and Detroit is banking on those traits translating into a bigger role. For a team trying to lighten the load on its core, this is less about fit on paper than it is about whether Collins can turn reliable scoring into something more demanding.
That challenge matters because Detroit does not have much margin for error on offense, and the expectation is that Collins will help create the extra production the lineup has lacked. He has shown he can score efficiently, but the Pistons need him to do it with more volume, not just as a complementary option. If that jump comes, it could reshape how defenses have to treat Detroit. If it does not, the search for another source of frontcourt scoring will only get louder. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Are Suddenly Back In The Trey Murphy Trade Conversation
A fresh wrinkle in New Orleans has put Trey Murphy III back on the radar, and Detroit is right in the mix as a possible landing spot. The Pelicans recent signing of Bennedict Mathurin could put more pressure on their books and make a high-salaried player harder to keep, which is the kind of cap-driven opening that can reopen trade talks fast in the NBA.
For the Pistons, Murphy makes sense as the type of wing who can fit into a bigger-picture roster build, especially if New Orleans becomes motivated to move money. Detroit would likely have to get creative on the salary side, with Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter among the names floated as possible matches, but for now it remains a conversation about fit and flexibility rather than anything close to a done deal. [Read more 🡒]