The Pistons had such a strong 2025-26 season. They finished atop the Eastern Conference standings at 60-22 thanks to All-NBA seasons from Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. And while the postseason ended a bit earlier than they would have hoped, there was nothing but excitement surrounding the franchise heading into the offseason. How quickly things can change.
Duren had a miserable postseason, averaging just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and disappearing in key spots throughout both series. That must have made the Pistons feel they could play hardball while negotiating his new contract, but the situation got messy. The two sides didn’t reach a deal until just before Duren’s qualifying-offer deadline kicked in. Along the way, they barely talked, and Detroit tried to put a weight clause in his contract. That was wildly insulting to a player who has been built like a Marvel superhero since entering the league.
Duren did return to the Pistons on a five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed deal, but there will surely be some hard feelings. It’ll be interesting to see how that affects the vibes in what was a great locker room last year.
Detroit also swapped Tobias Harris for John Collins at power forward. Collins is a good player, but Harris averaged 18.1 points per game in the playoffs. He was the second option for the Pistons and a good veteran presence.
The Pistons did add Isaiah Joe, an absolute sniper with the Thunder. I also liked the Taurean Prince pickup, and they drafted a shifty guard in Ebuka Okorie with the 17th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Detroit should be back in the playoff mix, but teams likely learned how to game plan for them. The Pistons will enter the year as a major regression candidate, and it’ll be interesting to see if they have enough scoring to last in the now-loaded Eastern Conference. I know they won 60 games last year, but I’m expecting them to go Under their total in 2026-27.
BURNING QUESTIONS
How will Duren respond to a poor postseason and nasty contract dispute?
Every player is different, but we have seen contract stalemates ruin player-team relationships. Even with a new deal inked, there’s no guarantee Duren is thrilled with how things went. Hopefully, being surrounded by his teammates and coaches will get him right mentally, as he’s a huge part of Detroit’s present and future.
Duren also needs to make an impact in the playoffs. He was an absolute beast during the regular season, but he was borderline unplayable against the Magic and Cavaliers. Detroit had an Efficiency Differential of +12.2 with Duren on the floor in the regular season. That dropped to -0.4 in the playoffs.
He needs to keep working on his lateral quickness and defensive positioning, as he wasn’t up to the task of defending the back line in the postseason. He also has to expand his offensive game a little, as being a play-finisher wasn’t enough when the games mattered most.
Does this team have enough firepower?
The Pistons ran through the 2025-26 regular season, winning 73.2% of their games, but people never quite believed in them as a true Eastern Conference contender. The Pistons never felt like they were there offensively, ranking ninth in the league in Adjusted Offensive Rating (117.1) and 16th in points per 100 plays in a half-court setting (97.6). Detroit simply didn’t have enough shot-making around Cunningham.
Adding Joe was a good piece of business by the front office. He averaged 11.1 points per game and shot 42.3% on 6.0 three-point attempts per game. He’s an absolute gunner who will make it hard for opponents to send extra attention at Cunningham.
I also love Collins as a player who can knock down the occasional corner three while providing a nice vertical threat, catching lobs and hammering them down.
Still, I really don’t think Detroit has taken the project of building this roster seriously. Adding a shooter is nice, but the Pistons are still insanely low on on-ball creation. Unless Okorie is way readier than we think, or Ausar Thompson unexpectedly has a bag, this should be an easy team to plan for in the half court.
Is this still a top-tier team in the Eastern Conference?
The answer should unequivocally be “Yes.” This was the No. 1 seed in the East last year, the young nucleus should keep getting stronger, and a taste of the postseason gives the whole group a better idea of what it takes to win. However, with so many good teams in the East, the Pistons couldn’t afford to take a step back in depth-chart talent. Sadly, that’s exactly what they did.
Detroit will likely miss Harris more than people think, and teams will look to make Duren uncomfortable the same way others did in the postseason. That means the Pistons could very well struggle to keep up with the East’s newer contenders, and one minor injury to a core player could mean an ugly stretch of regular-season play. I have a feeling this will be a team fighting to avoid the Play-In.
WIN TOTAL LEAN: Under 49.5
