Cade Cunningham went looking for a star and came up empty.
According to ESPN’s Vince Goodwill, Cunningham was “very much involved” in trying to bring several big names to Detroit, including Austin Reaves, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving. The most intriguing swing, though, was Leonard - the kind of move that would have changed the Pistons’ ceiling in a hurry.
Detroit’s need was obvious. The team has been dealing with a lack of legitimate star help next to Cunningham, and that hole showed up hard in the postseason, ultimately ending their run. Cunningham apparently decided not to sit back and wait for the front office to solve it.
The problem was that Leonard had his own preferred landing spots.
Per the reporting, the only places Leonard was open to being moved to were the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs. That left Detroit out of the picture, and it helps explain why Cunningham’s pitch didn’t go anywhere.
On paper, the fit was easy to imagine. Leonard would have joined a Pistons team that just won 60 games and stepped in as the 1B to Cunningham’s 1A. The pairing would have given Detroit scoring, playmaking, defense, and a whole lot of force on both ends.
But the appeal wasn’t mutual. Leonard had no previous ties to the Pistons, had never played for the organization, had never been coached by J.B.
Bickerstaff, and wouldn’t have found many familiar faces on the roster beyond John Collins. That stood in contrast to Toronto and San Antonio, where Leonard already has deep history.
He won a ring with both franchises and was drafted by the Spurs, where he learned the game.
For now, Detroit’s biggest offseason addition has been Collins, who should help. But he’s not Leonard, and he’s not the kind of star Cunningham was trying to lure to the Pistons.
So the idea was there. The push was real. The answer, in the end, was no.
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