The Pistons spent the offseason circling bigger moves and never quite jumping. Instead, Detroit added role players, just like it did the previous two summers. That alone tells you where this front office is right now: willing to consider a swing, still waiting on enough clarity to take it.
Trajan Langdon has been open about wanting more information before making a major trade, and the roster still has enough loose ends that the next few months matter a lot. Fans may be restless, and the Pistons are on the clock to make something happen by the next trade deadline. But first, they need answers.
One of the biggest is Ron Holland II. He’s heading into a key season because he has to prove he’s more than a defensive specialist buried on the deep bench and out of the playoff rotation.
If the 3-point shot starts falling, his outlook changes fast. If it doesn’t, it becomes hard to justify a salary that could climb above $11 million per year.
With the Pistons not having much time before a decision on his next option, this is already becoming a pressing issue. Holland doesn’t need to become a star overnight, but Detroit has to see some real progress.
Otherwise, he starts looking more like a deadline trade sweetener.
The front court brings its own set of questions, starting with whether the pending John Collins and Jalen Duren pairing actually works. Tobias Harris may not have been an elite defender, but he was smart, usually in the right place and had underrated hands.
Collins brings more shot-blocking, but there are concerns about how he’ll hold up defensively in front of Duren, especially since Collins isn’t known as a strong team defender. His contract also makes him the kind of player Detroit could package in a trade later, though that only makes sense if the Pistons have another power forward ready to step in.
They’re still thin there. And if Collins is spacing the floor and holding his own defensively, the team might decide he’s too useful to move.
Either way, the first half of the season will tell the story for that group.
Then there’s the bigger long-term question: are Jalen Duren and/or Ausar Thompson stars? Duren is expected to eventually sign with the Pistons for around $40 million a year, and once that happens, all the posturing around him will be behind them.
The real issue then becomes whether he can take another step, especially on defense now that Isaiah Stewart isn’t there backing him up. Detroit also needs more from Duren offensively if it wants him to be harder to game-plan against in the playoffs.
If that leap comes, the Pistons may not have to go star hunting.
Thompson could change the equation too. If he makes a real jump as a scorer and starts producing 15-18 points per game while adding playmaking, that would reshape how Detroit views the deadline and the roster’s future.
And underneath all of it sits the same old Cade Cunningham question: who is helping him handle the ball? The Pistons didn’t bring in another proven creator beyond rookie Ebuka Okorie, so the need for support is still there. Jenkins has to be a reliable backup, but Detroit would also love to see some shot creation from Kevin Huerter and maybe Okorie down the line.
If those pieces fall into place, the Pistons may not need to force a major move. If they don’t, the deadline starts looking a lot more urgent.
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Pistons Fixed Their Shooting But One Offensive Problem Still Lingers
The Pistons made a clear point of attack this offseason by adding four players who shoot better than 40 percent from deep and bringing back Kevin Huerter, a move aimed at lifting an offense that ranked 17th in the league from 3-point range last season. For a team trying to keep pace in a tighter Eastern Conference, the logic is obvious: more reliable shooting should help open the floor, create cleaner driving lanes and make Detroit a harder team to load up against.
Still, the shot-making itself was only part of the issue. Detroit was among the leagues lowest-volume 3-point teams a year ago, and the real test is whether the new additions can help push the offense into a more modern, more punishing shape. If the Pistons are going to get the spacing they want, they need more attempts, not just better percentages, and that remains the lingering question hanging over the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Face A Cade Cunningham Decision They Can't Dodge
The Pistons are at the point where patience alone cant be the whole plan anymore. With Cade Cunningham emerging as the centerpiece, Detroits next step is less about adding marginal help and more about deciding whether it is willing to make the kind of bold roster choices that actually change a teams ceiling.
Theres a clear cautionary tale in the league for teams that wait too long to get aggressive, and Detroit can see the value of moving decisively while its star is still on the rise. If the current No. 2 approach does not produce the kind of contender the Pistons need, the front office may have to start considering harder conversations about who stays in the long-term picture and who becomes part of the larger push to build around Cunningham. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Duren Contract Standoff Is Becoming A Pistons Camp Distraction
Jalen Durens contract situation is hanging over the Pistons as the calendar turns toward camp, with the big man facing a looming decision on the qualifying offer that would set up his path to unrestricted free agency after next season. Detroit is already lined up for Media Day on September 28, which means the teams opening stretch of public appearances could easily become less about on-court goals and more about one of its most important young players.
If the situation is still unresolved by then, Durens absence would be impossible to ignore and could become the dominant topic around the locker room, even before training camp begins. The expectation is that it gets sorted out before the real work starts, but until there is a resolution, it remains the kind of distraction a young team would rather not carry into September. [Read more 🡒]