The Detroit Pistons’ next move could come down to adding another creator who can ease the pressure on Cade Cunningham, and Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz has put RJ Barrett in that spotlight.
Detroit’s offseason has already centered on locking in its young core. Ausar Thompson landed a new 5yr/$155M contract extension, a move NBA insider Brett Siegel framed this way: “In other Pistons news, Ausar Thompson officially put pen to paper on his new 5yr/$155M contract extension. The Pistons now have Cunningham and Thompson officially on the books long-term, with Thompson's deal coming in around 15% of the cap," NBA insider Brett Siegel posted.
The other major development has been the unresolved tension around Jalen Duren, which eventually ended with a massive agreement. Shams Charania reported, “All-NBA and All-Star center Jalen Duren has agreed to sign a five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed contract to return to the Detroit Pistons, agent Chafie Fields of THE•TEAM tells ESPN. This ends a prolonged restricted free agency dispute between the two sides," ESPN's Shams Charania posted.
With those pieces in place, Swartz floated a trade idea that would send Barrett from the Toronto Raptors to Detroit in exchange for Ron Holland II and draft capital.
“The ideal trade target would be a wing who can create for themselves and others, helping to keep the offense humming when Cunningham needs a break or hits an inevitable shooting slump. This list could include players like RJ Barrett.
Detroit has all of its first-round picks moving forward, making a potential blockbuster more likely. Former No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland II could be used as trade bait, as the runway hasn't been opened for him in Detroit to reach his potential,” Swartz said.
For Detroit, the appeal is simple: another scorer next to Cunningham. A player like Barrett would give the Pistons more off-the-dribble juice and another option defenses would have to account for. Paired with the team’s other young talent, it’s the kind of move that could make Detroit even tougher to deal with.
In Other News...
Cade Cunninghams Absence Is Giving The Pistons A Real Test
Cade Cunninghams preseason rest against Washington gave the Pistons a useful look at life without their top engine, and it put some of the rosters younger pieces under the spotlight. Detroit has been using these exhibition stretches to sort through lineups and see which combinations can hold up when the offense isnt running through its best player, a worthwhile exercise even in a loss.
Daniss Jenkins stepped into a bigger role, while rookie Ebuka Okorie also got another chance to make his case after his strong preseason opener against Phoenix. For a team that wants more flexibility and a deeper supporting cast once the games count, these minutes matter, because the Pistons need more than Cunninghams brilliance to carry them through the regular season. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Just Got An Early Warning About Life Without Cade
Cade Cunningham sat out Detroits second preseason game, and the result offered an early glimpse of how thin the margin can get when the offense has to function without its engine. The Pistons had trouble generating clean looks, the ball stuck at times, and the overall execution on that end never found much rhythm as the group struggled to score efficiently.
There were a couple of encouraging notes in the backcourt, though, with Daniss Jenkins and rookie Ebuka Okorie each showing some feel for organizing the offense. Even so, Detroits poor shooting and turnover issues underscored how much work remains if the team wants to survive Cunningham absences in the regular season and keep his workload manageable. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Face A Tough Trade-Off In Reported RJ Barrett Interest
A reported Detroit-Toronto framework has put RJ Barrett on the Pistons radar, and on paper it is the kind of swing that says plenty about where the franchise thinks it is headed. Bleacher Reports Greg Swartz floated a speculative deal that would bring Barrett to Detroit, giving the Pistons an established scorer who could help accelerate the offense while adding more certainty to a roster still trying to sort out its long-term core.
The catch is the cost, and that is where the debate starts for Detroit. A move like this would ask the Pistons to weigh immediate production against the value of keeping a young developmental piece in the pipeline, while also committing meaningful assets to a player whose contract structure adds another layer to the decision. For a team trying to climb without losing its flexibility, it is the sort of trade-off that can define the next step in the rebuild. [Read more 🡒]