The Detroit Pistons are heading into the 2026-27 season with a roster that already has a clear headliner in Cade Cunningham, but a few names could end up looking a lot different in J.B. Bickerstaff’s third year at the helm.
Detroit opens the season Oct. 20 at Little Caesars Arena against the Boston Celtics, coming off a 2025-26 campaign that put the Pistons at the top of the Eastern Conference with 60 wins. With the East expected to be even tougher, the margin for growth matters - and so do the players whose responsibilities may rise along the way.
Ausar Thompson is the most obvious candidate. The No. 5 overall pick in 2023 has already carved out a reputation as one of the league’s top young defensive weapons, and last season he was named an NBA Defensive Player of the Year finalist before the award went to Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. Thompson also led the NBA in steals at 2.0 per game, a number that underscores just how disruptive he’s become on that end.
The next step for Thompson is on offense. That’s still the part of his game that leaves the biggest question hanging, but it’s also where Detroit has the most room to gain if he makes a jump. If Thompson can turn that promise into production, the Pistons get a whole new layer as they try to keep pace in a crowded conference.
Daniss Jenkins is another player whose role could keep growing. His rise last season was one of the Pistons’ best storylines, as the former undrafted free agent out of St.
John Red Storm and former two-way player with the Motor City Cruise became a real rotation piece. He appeared in 72 regular-season games and put up 9.3 points, 3.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Jenkins didn’t fade when the games got bigger, either. He logged time in the playoff series against the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers and even worked his way into the starting lineup.
In Detroit’s seven-game Eastern Conference Semifinals loss to Cleveland, he averaged 11.6 points, and five of those seven games saw him score in double figures. He’s not projected to start this season, but he should remain a major part of the rotation and could pick up even more minutes.
Isaiah Joe is the new piece who could change the most depending on how Bickerstaff wants to line things up. Detroit made improving its three-point shooting a priority this offseason, and Joe arrives with a clean fit on paper. He shot 42.3 percent from deep during the regular season with the Oklahoma City Thunder and was one of the additions who cleared the 40-percent mark from beyond the arc last season.
Joe brings more than shooting, too. He’s an aggressive defender, which plays well on a Pistons team that thrives on turning stops into points.
He also arrives with championship experience after winning the 2025 title with the Thunder over the Indiana Pacers. While Robinson is expected to start next to Cunningham, Joe’s catch-and-shoot game and two-way edge could give Bickerstaff another option if he decides to shuffle the lineup.
In Other News...
Ausar Thompson Just Made The Pistons Extension Math Much Tougher
Amen Thompsons extension in Houston adds a fresh layer to the Pistons contract planning, because Ausar Thompson now has a new benchmark sitting right in the middle of his own negotiations. Detroit has already been sorting through its long-term payroll picture, and the timing of these talks matters as much as the numbers themselves when multiple young core pieces are due for new deals.
Jalen Durens next contract is part of the same puzzle, which makes the front offices order of operations even more important. If the Pistons want to keep their young nucleus intact, they have to navigate those talks carefully, and the ripple effects from one extension can quickly reshape the rest of the table. [Read more 🡒]