The Detroit Pistons have spent the offseason adding pieces, but not the kind that solve the problem staring them in the face.
Their biggest swing was the six-team deal that brought in John Collins, along with some depth and draft capital. On paper, it looks like movement. In reality, it leaves the same central issue untouched: Detroit still doesn’t have a clear second star or enough ball-handling to ease the load on Cade Cunningham.
That matters because Cunningham was already carrying too much. The Pistons reached the top seed in the East before a frustrating second-round playoff exit, and the postseason exposed the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Jalen Duren struggled, Tobias Harris is gone, and the offense still leans heavily on Cunningham to create almost everything.
Detroit has also added Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince, Gary Harris, and drafted Ebuka Okorie with the 17th overall pick. But none of those moves changes the basic shape of the roster.
Prince and Gary Harris are not primary creators. Collins still needs someone to get him the ball.
And Okorie, as a rookie point guard, can’t be counted on to fix a title-level problem right away.
So the Pistons are once again betting on a heliocentric offense built around Cade. That approach already failed in the playoffs.
Detroit barely survived a seven-game series against the Orlando Magic in the first round, then fell to the Cavaliers in the second round. The Knicks swept Cleveland in the conference finals, a reminder of how far the Pistons still have to go.
The frustrating part for Detroit is that the Eastern Conference got better this offseason, while the Pistons did not address their biggest needs. They continue to lean on the Cunningham, Duren, and Thompson core, even though the fit remains questionable. There still isn’t enough shooting, shot creation, or offensive force to win four playoff series.
That leaves Trajan Langdon under the microscope. He helped guide the Pistons out of their rebuild and back to the playoffs, but that only goes so far. The standard now is a championship, and the roster still looks short of that level.
Langdon’s deadline move was Kevin Huerter, and it didn’t move the needle. This summer’s answer was more of the same: useful additions, but not the kind that change Detroit’s ceiling.
With Duren and Ausar looking for new contracts, the Pistons had a chance to reshape the team. Instead, they doubled down on a formula that hasn’t proven it can get them where they want to go.
For now, the message is clear. Cade Cunningham is a superstar and a true alpha on a title team.
The Pistons still need the right co-star next to him, and until they find one, the same early playoff exit conversation is going to hang over this team. And if Langdon can’t solve that, the heat on his seat is only going to rise.
In Other News...
Pistons May Already Have Their Second Unit Answer In House
With Caris LeVert gone, the Pistons are left sorting out who handles the extra playmaking work for the second unit, and Kevin Huerter has quickly become the name to watch. He arrived at the trade deadline last season and, even in a limited sample, showed enough offensive and defensive value to make the bench look more functional when he was on the floor.
Huerters case is tied to health as much as role, since his first stretch in Detroit came while he was battling hip and adductor issues. Daniss Jenkins also gives the Pistons another backup point guard option, but the bigger question now is how much of the second-unit offense Huerter can shoulder once he is fully available. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons May Have One Unexpected Shot To Finally Help Cade
Detroits search for a real offseason boost around Cade Cunningham has been stuck in the same familiar place: limited cap room, few clean paths and a market that has not exactly broken the Pistons way. That is why the conversation keeps circling back to possible value plays, the kind of move that does not require a full reset of the roster but could still give Cunningham a more workable supporting cast.
Jonathan Kuminga fits that conversation better than most, even if Detroit has not been officially tied to him. The appeal is obvious enough - a young, talented wing who might be reachable on a prove-it arrangement, with a sign-and-trade as one possible route if the market develops that way. For a team still trying to find the right next step, the question is whether this is the rare swing worth taking. [Read more 🡒]