The Detroit Pistons went into the offseason with an obvious hole to fill: another offensive creator to sit beside Cade Cunningham. Cunningham remains the team’s lone true engine, the player everything seems to run through.
But instead of chasing a splashy trade, Detroit chose a different route. The front office is betting on growth from within.
That decision leaves the Pistons with a clear season-long storyline. Rather than spending assets on a big move, they’re counting on someone already in the building to take a real step forward. And there are three names in that conversation: Isaiah Joe, Ebuka Okorie, and Daniss Jenkins.
If one of them can grow into a more reliable offensive option, especially in the creation department, Detroit’s outlook changes fast.
The need for another shot creator has been easy to spot. Around the league, plenty of people expected the Pistons to use their position to make a deal and strengthen their chances. Adding more offense was always the cleanest way to help Cunningham and the surest way for Detroit to keep climbing.
That urgency showed up in last year’s playoffs, when Cunningham didn’t have it going and the Pistons had to lean on other sources. Those alternatives weren’t nearly as steady as they needed to be. This season, Detroit is looking for more dependable production from somewhere other than its star.
Joe is one possible answer. He came to the Pistons in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and his biggest calling card is his shooting from deep. The hope is that more chances could unlock more than just catch-and-shoot value.
Okorie is another possibility. Detroit selected him in this year’s draft, and if he can bring even a piece of what he showed at Stanford last season, he could become a meaningful piece of the offense.
Then there’s Jenkins, who already showed he can handle a sixth-man role. The question now is whether there’s more there - more scoring, more creation, more pressure on defenses.
If any one of those three makes a real leap on offense, the Pistons will have a strong argument that standing pat was the right call. Instead of swinging big, they trusted their own development. Now they need that bet to pay off.
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Reeds value came from activity more than volume, and Detroit will be asking him to carry that style over a larger workload without letting foul trouble undercut it. The appeal is obvious: if he can hold up physically and stay disciplined, the Pistons may have found a reserve big who brings a different edge than the one fans were used to seeing. [Read more 🡒]