The Detroit Pistons find themselves in unfamiliar territory - not just competitive, but potentially poised to make a serious run at the NBA Finals. That’s not a sentence fans have heard much in recent years, but here we are.
With the Eastern Conference looking wide open, Detroit has a real shot to make noise. The question now is whether they’re ready to go all-in - and whether Jaren Jackson Jr. is the piece worth pushing their chips in for.
According to reports, the Pistons are among the teams showing interest in Jackson, with the Memphis Grizzlies fielding calls despite maintaining that they want to build around the All-Star big man. Detroit isn’t alone - the Celtics are reportedly sniffing around too - but the Pistons’ situation is especially intriguing.
On paper, Jackson fits like a glove. He’s a versatile, switchable big who can stretch the floor on offense and anchor a defense on the other end.
That last part is key. Detroit already boasts one of the league’s stingiest defenses, and adding a former Defensive Player of the Year would take that unit from tough to downright terrifying.
Imagine Jackson patrolling the paint behind perimeter defenders like Ausar Thompson and Cade Cunningham - that’s a nightmare matchup for opposing offenses.
Offensively, Jackson’s ability to space the floor and roll to the rim gives Detroit another dynamic weapon. With Cunningham orchestrating the offense, Jackson wouldn’t need to carry a heavy scoring load - just finish plays and knock down open looks. Slot him into a lineup with Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Thompson, and Jalen Duren, and suddenly you’ve got a group that can defend, shoot, and run the floor with anyone.
But this isn’t a no-brainer. There’s real risk here - and it starts with the contract.
Jackson’s deal is hefty. He’s making $35 million this season, but the number climbs steeply in the years ahead: $49 million, then $50.5 million, $52 million, and a $53.5 million player option after that.
That’s a serious long-term investment, and if Jackson doesn’t mesh with Detroit’s core, it could become an anchor on their cap sheet. The Pistons could quickly find themselves in the second apron territory, limiting their flexibility to build around their young core.
There’s also the question of fit. While Jackson’s skill set is tantalizing, he’s not a plug-and-play superstar.
He’s had stretches of inconsistency and injury concerns in the past, and it’s fair to wonder how he’d adjust to a new role in a different system. This isn’t Memphis, where he’s been the defensive centerpiece - in Detroit, he’d need to complement a rising star in Cunningham and a frontcourt already featuring Duren.
So what’s the verdict? A Jackson trade could elevate the Pistons from upstart to contender.
But it’s a high-stakes move - one that could define this era of Pistons basketball for better or worse. If they pull the trigger, it’ll be because they believe the upside outweighs the risk.
And right now, with the East as open as it is, that upside is hard to ignore.