From 14 wins in 2023-24 to 60 wins last season, the Pistons have turned from a perennial bottom-dweller to a legitimate contender in only two seasons. Last year’s team won 60 games for the first time in two decades and earned the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, winning a playoff series for the first time since 2008.
Despite a disappointing postseason end in a 125-94 blowout loss against Cleveland in Game 7 at home, the season was a fantastic success. Cade Cunningham further established himself as one of the best players in the NBA, Ausar Thompson earned First-Team All-Defense honors, and Jalen Duren finished Third-Team All-NBA after a breakout regular season.
Entering the 2026-27 season, expectations are high in year three of the J.B. Bickerstaff era. The young core is back with a more well-rounded team surrounding it. The Eastern Conference undoubtedly got tougher, but the Pistons will be right back in the mix.
2025-26 record: 60-22, #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, lost in seven games to Cleveland in round two of the playoffs
Pistons offseason review
Trajan Langdon entered the summer needing to lock up the young core and find more scoring around Cade Cunningham. Many expected a blockbuster trade after rumors swirled around Trey Murphy, Michael Porter Jr., Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and others. Ultimately, a headline-worthy trade never materialized, although Detroit has all of its future assets to swing a deal at some point in the future.
Instead, Langdon and the front office elected to make a handful of moves aimed at creating a more well-rounded roster with better scoring. Between the draft, free agency, and trades, the Pistons re-worked a good portion of the roster beyond the core of Cunningham, Thompson, and Duren.
A remade frontcourt
The emergence of Paul Reed at center put the Pistons in a position to move on from Isaiah Stewart in the offseason. Stewart, the longest-tenured Piston on last year’s team, saw his playing time decline in the playoffs. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for two future second-round picks. Stewart was a fan favorite in Detroit and will be missed, but moving on was ultimately best for both sides.
Tobias Harris signed with San Antonio in free agency after his second successful stint with the Pistons. Harris helped turn the Pistons around over the past two seasons with his veteran leadership and steady play at power forward. He was the second-best player in the playoffs last season, especially in the opening round comeback against Orlando.
In his place, the Pistons signed John Collins to a three-year, $51 million deal. Collins averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds with the Clippers last season, his third team in as many years. He is a different player than Harris, more of a lob threat and pick-and-pop big than a self-creator. Collins is a career 36.9% three-point shooter and shot 40.6% and 39.9% from deep the last two seasons in Los Angeles and Utah. How quickly Collins fits in will greatly dictate the success of this Pistons team.
A totally re-worked bench
The Pistons bench struggled to score throughout last season. Trajan Langdon totally re-worked the unit this offseason. The aforementioned Isaiah Stewart is now in Memphis, Marcus Sasser was traded to Dallas, and Caris LeVert was shipped off to Milwaukee.
The biggest addition to the bench unit came in a trade with Oklahoma City. The Pistons acquired Isaiah Joe for a pair of second-round picks, essentially swapping Stewart for Joe in the rotation. Joe is one of the best pure shooters in the NBA. In six career seasons, he is a 40.6% shooter from beyond the arc and shot 42.3% from deep last season. With Joe and Duncan Robinson, the Pistons will now have an elite three point shooter on the floor at all times this season, something they did not have a year ago.
Detroit traded up from the 21st pick in the draft to 17th to draft Stanford point guard Ebuka Okoire. In one year at Stanford, Okoirie led the ACC in scoring last season with 23.2 points per game. He is a creative scorer who can knock down shots from anywhere. There are questions about his size at 6-foot-1 and playmaking abilities, as he did not pass the ball much at Stanford. However, Okorie is a high-ceiling player who has drawn high-end comparisons to Kyrie Irving and more realistic comps to Dennis Schröder. His selection is a long-term play for the Pistons to find a running mate next to Cade Cunningham, but Okorie could factor into the rotation as the season goes on.
The Pistons shipped Caris LeVert to Milwaukee in a complicated six-team trade in early July, receiving Taurean Prince and Gary Harris in return. Harris was subsequently waived, but Prince figures to have a role in the rotation. A ten-year veteran, Prince is a career 38.7% shooter from three.
Sensing a theme here? The front office clearly prioritized adding shooting depth in the offseason. Between Collins, Joe, Prince, and the returns of Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green, the Pistons figure to be a bigger offensive threat this season while maintaining their core defensive identity.
Duren, Thompson ink contract extensions
Jalen Duren’s contract saga dominated the offseason. Coming off an All-NBA season, Duren seemed poised for a near-max deal. Then came 14 playoff games in which his scoring dropped nearly 50%, and he found himself on the bench late in games in favor of Paul Reed.
After months of trade and qualifying offer rumors, clearer heads prevailed, and the Pistons signed Duren to a five-year, $200 million extension. Of course, the playoff performance is a major concern going forward. Duren will have to prove that was an aberration for this contract to work out for the franchise. Clearly, the front office and coaching staff believe that to be the case. Duren himself expressed as much at his preseason media availability.
Ausar Thompson’s extension was the polar opposite of Duren’s: quick, quiet, and done before the start of training camp. At five years, $155 million, Thompson is worth the money alone for his outstanding defense. For my money, Thompson is the best defender in the NBA not named Victor Wembanyama. What remains to be seen is his improvement on the offensive end. A more polished mid range shot and aggression in getting to the rim are the next steps for Thompson. If he becomes a more complete player, this contract will become one of the best in the NBA.
Projected depth chart
Point guard: Cade Cunningham, Daniss Jenkins, Ebuka Okorie
Shooting guard: Duncan Robinson, Isaiah Joe
Small forward: Ausar Thompson, Kevin Huerter, Javonte Green
Power forward: John Collins, Ron Holland, Taurean Prince
Center: Jalen Duren, Paul Reed, Tolu Smith
The Pistons have 13 players capable of cracking the rotation. J.B. Bickerstaff has a lot of room to mix and match the five on the floor. We could see lineups with Duncan Robinson and Isaiah Joe at the three, Cunningham and Jenkins on the floor together, John Collins as a small-ball five, and more. That level of flexibility during the regular season will both keep guys fresh as the year goes on, let Bickerstaff figure out his best rotations, and ultimately determine if the roster needs any upgrades at the trade deadline.
Did Langdon do enough in the offseason to keep up in an improved East?
This is the question that defines the season. Toronto traded for Kawhi Leonard. Philadelphia added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo. Indiana returns a healthy Tyrese Haliburton. The Knicks are the defending champs. Boston, Atlanta, and Orlando all figure to be in the mix. The Eastern Conference is as deep as it has ever been.
The Pistons refrained from taking a major swing, instead electing to run back the core that won 60 games a year ago with a revamped bench unit and better depth of scoring. I do not expect this team to win 60 games again; that is a rare feat in this day and age of the NBA. But I do believe the Pistons are one of the most well-rounded teams in the league. Cade Cunningham is one of the best players in the NBA, Ausar Thompson is a premier defender, and Jalen Duren should play like his regular season self rather than his postseason showing. Couple that core with excellent depth, and the Pistons are still well-positioned despite the lack of a flashy move.
Will the young players continue to improve?
Thompson and Duren have clear paths to becoming even better players. Improvement on the offensive side for Thompson, whether it be a mid-range shot, perimeter shot, or efficiency at the rim (ideally multiple of those). For Duren, it is finding his game from last regular season and continuing to develop an offensive skill set away from the rim. That alone would make the Pistons a more dangerous team.
There are three other young players on the roster that are wild cards: Daniss Jenkins, Ron Holland, and Ebuka Okorie. As a rookie, Okorie should not be counted upon in a large role. Jenkins emerged last season as a productive, but inconsistent, player who started out in the G League. He was a pleasant surprise, playing roughly 20 minutes per game and averaging 9.3 points and 3.9 assists per game. Holland, now entering year three, has to show that he can be more than a hustle player and tough defender in order to establish his position in the rotation. Much like Thompson, but even more important given he is not as good of a defender or athlete, Holland has to take a leap on offense.
Final thoughts
Winning 60 games again seems unlikely for the Pistons, especially given the big moves made around the Eastern Conference. However, a step back in the win category would not make the Pistons a worse team, nor any less of a contender. Still, the Pistons are not respected nationally as they should be after the turnaround of the last two seasons. Cade Cunningham echoes that sentiment, saying “I still feel like we’re a little slept on” in an interview with the Detroit Free Press.
The 2025-26 Pistons went 30-15 against teams with winning records and 13-6 in games against top-four seeds in each conference. Nothing about their season was a fluke, but there are still plenty of doubters. Entering the season, once again, there are plenty of doubters.
Do not count me amongst them. I believe the 2026-27 Pistons will be one of the best teams in the NBA once again. The roster is more complete than a year ago, while still maintaining its identity of toughness and defense. Ausar Thompson is going to be a bigger threat on offense this season, and the bench unit is more of a scoring threat. The Pistons lack the pomp and circumstance of most of their Eastern Conference counterparts, and there is nothing wrong with that. This team is plenty talented. Playoff disappointment from last season should have them motivated.
Whether or not the Pistons are a better, worse, or similar team this season will play out. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about a new season of Detroit Basketball. I’ll take being the underdog once again, and I bet the entire team feels the same way. After all, it is Detroit vs. Everybody. Here’s to a great season to come.
