The Detroit Pistons’ center situation has gotten thin in a hurry.
Isaiah Stewart was traded this summer, and now Jalen Duren is expected to miss a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury. That leaves Paul Reed as the only real available center, which makes extra frontcourt depth worth thinking about even if Duren’s absence is only temporary.
That is where Precious Achiuwa starts to look interesting.
Achiuwa is currently on a Sacramento Kings team that has not won a game this season and stands as the league’s last winless club. Even in that mess, he has been producing. Thursday night against the New Orleans Pelicans brought his best outing of the year so far: 24 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and four steals, with 12-of-27 shooting from the field and 0-of-2 from beyond the arc.
He’s not exactly in an ideal spot right now. Achiuwa is playing power forward next to Domantas Sabonis, but his game would translate well to center if the Pistons needed him there. And while Detroit may be comfortable with its current group once Duren returns, Achiuwa has clearly worked himself into the conversation as a trade candidate.
After a rocky start with the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors - plenty of promise, not much production - he has been rebuilding his value over the last few seasons. If he keeps it up, Sacramento could decide to move him at the deadline and try to cash in on that momentum.
The contract only adds to the appeal. Achiuwa is making just under $5.5 million this season, with one more year on the deal after that. In the 2027-28 season, he is set to make over $5.7 million.
That kind of money is manageable, especially under the current CBA and second apron restrictions, which makes him a realistic target for a lot of teams. Detroit fits that description. A rotation with Achiuwa, Duren, and Reed would give the Pistons more size up front, and his ability to play power forward would help keep him on the floor even when Duren is back.
In Other News...
John Collins Is Becoming A Real Pistons Problem At Home
John Collins has quietly turned into one of those players the Pistons have to keep an extra eye on, especially when the building changes. His production has been noticeably stronger on the road than at home, where his scoring, rebounding and shooting have all trailed off, and he has also taken fewer threes in Detroit. For a team leaning on him to help stretch the floor and clean up the glass with Jalen Duren out, that split matters.
The good news for Detroit is that the schedule is about to take Collins away from home, where his comfort level has been harder to read. The Pistons need him to be more than a complementary piece in those spots, particularly as a rebounder and spacer who can help keep the offense balanced. Whether the road trip nudges him back toward the version that has shown up elsewhere is one of the quieter questions hanging over the team right now. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Fast Start Is Putting One Young Piece Under Pressure
The Pistons 4-1 start has them sitting atop the Eastern Conference and looking like one of the leagues early surprises, with Duncan Robinson, Daniss Jenkins and Paul Reed all giving Detroit meaningful early-season production. In a season that already feels different around the roster, the fast start has helped validate the teams direction and given the supporting cast real room to breathe.
Ron Holland II, though, has been the young piece under the brightest spotlight through the first five games. His uneven play has created an awkward subplot inside a winning group, especially with the kind of depth Detroit is showing elsewhere, and it has naturally led to talk about how secure his place is as the season unfolds and the trade deadline gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Suddenly Need Paul Reed More Than They Planned
Jalen Durens hamstring strain has left the Pistons with an immediate hole in the middle, and for now that means Paul Reed is moving from useful reserve to far more central piece of the rotation. Detroit expected to lean on its depth this season, but injuries have a way of changing the plan fast, and Reed has already started to look like the player the staff can trust when the minutes spike.
Against the Charlotte Hornets, Reed logged significant run and turned it into 16 points, four rebounds, three steals and a block, the kind of all-around showing that can buy a little confidence while Duren is out. The question now is how long Detroit can keep stretching that trust, and whether Reed can hold down the starting job long enough to stabilize the frontcourt while the team waits for Duren to return. [Read more 🡒]