The Pistons’ offseason took shape quickly during draft week, and now the attention shifts to what they do next in free agency.
Detroit made three trades and two draft picks over the past week, sending away Isaiah Stewart, selecting Ebuka Okorie at No. 17 overall and Ugonna Onyenso at No. 53, and bringing in Isaiah Joe. That flurry left the roster in motion, with 2026 NBA free agency set to open Tuesday, June 30, at 6 p.m. ET.
The big picture is fairly clear: the Pistons can stay over the cap and still keep the flexibility to re-sign multiple free agents, while also having access to the non-taxpayer $15 million mid-level exception, which can reach a four-year deal worth $64.7 million. The other path is cap space, though that would require more work - things like trading Caris LeVert into cap space for picks, waiving Duncan Robinson and giving up their Early Bird rights on Tobias Harris.
The two most important names sitting on the market for Detroit are Jalen Duren, who is restricted, and Tobias Harris, who is unrestricted.
One of the loudest draft-week rumors tied the Pistons to Kawhi Leonard if the Clippers ever considered moving on. Leonard is on an expiring $50.3 million deal, and Detroit was said to be a team to watch. But that track cooled quickly after reporting indicated Leonard would not be interested in extending with the Pistons, which likely knocks them out of the chase, according to The Stein Line.
From there, the Leonard market has shifted elsewhere. On Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks became the favorite to land him in a deal that could include P.J.
Washington, Klay Thompson and picks. The Mavericks are now led by new president Masai Ujiri, who was in charge in Toronto when the Raptors traded for Leonard in 2018 and then won the title the next season.
Toronto is still in the picture too, with Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reporting the Raptors have had "real trade conversations this weekend" with Los Angeles.
As for Detroit’s free-agent board, several players who might have made sense are already off it. Austin Reaves re-signed with the Lakers, Ayo Dosunmu re-signed with the Timberwolves and Coby White re-signed with the Hornets.
That leaves the Pistons still staring at a real hole at power forward, since they do not currently have one on the roster. Tobias Harris remains a possible return, and Detroit could also go after another trade or combine the two approaches.
Among the names that could fit are Heat guard Norman Powell, Lakers power forward Rui Hachimura, Clippers power forward John Collins and LeBron James, though landing James would likely require the Pistons to open up cap space if he were willing to come to Detroit.
The trade chatter hasn’t stopped either. Jaylen Brown of the Celtics and Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III are both being floated, and Bucks guard Tyler Herro could come back into the conversation as well, even if Friday’s trade for Isaiah Joe helped address the team’s shooting need.
If Detroit heads into free agency with Jalen Duren re-signing, Tolu Smith’s team option picked up and second-round pick Ugonna Onyenso on a two-way deal, the roster would still have two open spots. That version of the depth chart would look like this: Cade Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins and Ebuka Okorie at point guard; Isaiah Joe, Marcus Sasser and Chaz Lanier on the wing; Ausar Thompson, Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert and Ron Holland at wing; no power forwards listed; and Jalen Duren, Paul Reed and Tolu Smith at center.
In Other News...
Pistons May Have Found Their Next Obvious Shooting Upgrade
The Pistons have already shown theyre willing to shop the margins for shooting help, and that approach is starting to look like a real team-building lane. After adding Isaiah Joe, Detroit has been tied to the same kind of incremental upgrade philosophy, using its extra second-round picks to chase players who can lift both the floor spacing and the overall fit without forcing a major swing.
One name that stands out in that conversation is Milwaukee guard AJ Green, whose value comes from more than just a clean jumper. He has been a steady three-point threat every year he has been in the league, and last season he hit 42 percent on 7.1 attempts per game, all while carrying a contract that would not stop the Pistons from making another move around the edges. The appeal is obvious for a team trying to keep stacking small gains, even if the exact cost to pry him loose is where the real question begins. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons May Have Found The Center Answer Fans Have Been Begging For
With Isaiah Stewart gone, Detroits frontcourt picture has a little more uncertainty than it had a week ago, and that makes the Pistons search for center help worth watching closely. The team could use another body in the middle, and Mitchell Robinson has the kind of size and rim protection that would fit a roster looking to stabilize behind Jalen Duren while keeping Paul Reed in the mix.
Robinsons value has long been tied to what he does around the basket, where his rebounding and interior defense can change possessions without asking for touches. For a Pistons team that still needs more offensive support and more reliability up front, adding a center with that profile would make sense on paper, even if the bigger question is whether Detroit can position itself well enough to land him once free agency opens. [Read more 🡒]
Cade Cunningham Co-Star Picture Could Suddenly Change For Pistons
The Pistons have spent plenty of time trying to find the right kind of running mate for Cade Cunningham, and a fresh wave of trade chatter has only added another layer to that search. One possibility that had been floated would have sent Tyler Herro to Milwaukee in a three-team arrangement, but that path never came together, leaving Detroit to keep scanning the market for a backcourt or wing upgrade that fits its timeline.
Now the conversation is drifting toward a different kind of domino effect, with the kind of big-name movement that can reshape what is available to a team like Detroit. For the Pistons, the appeal is obvious: they want someone who can lighten Cunninghams load and raise the ceiling of the roster, but right now the best options are still tied to speculation rather than anything concrete. [Read more 🡒]