The Detroit Pistons have added some real pieces this offseason, but the roster still has two obvious soft spots as the new season approaches.
Isaiah Joe, John Collins and Taurean Prince bring more shooting, more spacing and a little more defensive cover, which fits the way Detroit has been built over the last season and a half. That part of the plan makes sense. The problem is that the moves the Pistons needed most still didn’t get done, and that leaves a couple of glaring openings for opponents to attack.
One of the biggest issues is behind Cade Cunningham. Detroit still doesn’t have a proven second option who can create offense off the dribble when defenses trap Cunningham, especially late in games. Just as important, the Pistons also need a reliable playmaker to steady things when Cunningham is off the ball or getting swarmed.
Rookie guard Ebuka Okorie and the returning Daniss Jenkins should help with minutes and give Cunningham some relief, but leaning on unproven backcourt depth is a dangerous bet. Someone has to be able to run the offense and keep it organized, and right now Cunningham may end up carrying that burden far too often.
The additions of Joe and Collins are useful, but they are not exactly the kind of answers Detroit needed on paper. Maybe one of the newcomers changes the equation.
Joe, in particular, has a chance to step out from behind SGA at Oklahoma City and make a real impact. But there’s still plenty of risk in counting on that kind of leap.
The other major question sits in the frontcourt, where Jalen Duren’s situation remains unresolved heading toward training camp. If that doesn’t get sorted out, Paul Reed is going to be very busy.
Reed has become a fan favorite and earned more minutes, and Detroit will need his work around the rim for scoring and rim protection. Still, the front office appears to have shifted toward three-point shooting and spacing instead of making sure the frontcourt is fully covered.
The Pistons are confident Duren will be on the roster this season and are not considering sign-and-trade options for him. From their perspective, he is staying in Detroit, even though Duren is pushing for a big extension the team is not willing to give him. There’s also no indication that the teams he has spoken with are eager to meet that price.
That leaves a messy situation hanging over camp. Duren may end up having to accept a deal he doesn’t love, and that brings another question into the picture: what does that do to his mindset once the season starts?
In Other News...
Pistons Are About To Gain Two Trade Chips Worth Watching
The Pistons added a couple of familiar veteran pieces when they took on Taurean Prince and Gary Harris in the multi-team sign-and-trade that sent John Collins on his way, and even before training camp fully gets rolling, their long-term value looks tied more to the trade market than the rotation. Both players give Detroit some experienced depth, but the bigger appeal may be that they are movable contracts on a roster still shaping its next phase.
Detroit has more immediate business to handle, especially with contract extensions for Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson on the table, but Prince and Harris could become useful chips when the front office starts looking for flexibility. For a team that may need salary-matching help later, those deals give the Pistons another layer of optionality, and the timing of when they can be bundled in a trade will be worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Still Face A Bigger Risk Than The Jalen Duren Standoff
Jalen Durens contract situation remains one of the lingering items on Detroits offseason checklist as camp draws closer, but it is not the only roster issue hovering over the Pistons. The bigger picture is that the front office is still trying to steady its relationship with Duren while keeping the focus on a younger core, rather than jumping into a costly star chase that could reshape the teams future.
That caution looks even more deliberate when measured against the kind of swing-for-the-fences move Detroit passed on with Anthony Davis. Davis is extension-eligible, has not played for the Washington Wizards because of injury concerns, and the Wizards plan to discuss an extension with him during the season, which only adds to the kind of long-term uncertainty Detroit seems intent to avoid right now. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Face A Risky Kyrie Irving Debate That Could Change Everything
A speculative three-team trade idea has put Detroit in the middle of a familiar kind of NBA debate, one where upside and instability sit right next to each other. The proposal would reshape the Pistons roster in a hurry, with the conversation centered on whether adding Kyrie Irving would be worth the cost in depth, rotation balance and future flexibility.
The attraction is obvious for a team looking to accelerate its timeline, especially with another veteran piece in the mix, but the price tag in players and draft capital makes the whole exercise hard to ignore. Even as the idea percolates, the real question for Detroit is not just what it would gain, but how much of its present and future it would be willing to sacrifice to get there. [Read more 🡒]