The Detroit Pistons have a known need for shot creators who can take pressure off of overburdened franchise player Cade Cunningham. They also have a $155 million wing in Ausar Thompson whose passive tendencies would be fueled by the arrival of another player who primarily functions with the ball in their hands.
Though the Pistons may need to throw caution to the wind come the 2027 trade deadline, they need to exercise patience for as long as possible as they attempt to rewire Thompson's offensive brain.
Thompson can make a significant impact on the offensive end of the floor when he's determined to do so. His slashing puts immeasurable pressure on opposing defenses, while his steadily improving playmaking allows Cunningham to shoulder less of an offensive burden.
Unfortunately, Thompson has even called himself out for how passive he tends to be as an offensive player and how it can put his team in a bind.
The good news is that Thompson is beginning to impose his will a bit more, with his current average of 5.0 assists per game in line to be a new career-best mark. Unfortunately, he's averaging fewer shots in more minutes than he managed a season ago.
With this in mind, the Pistons shouldn't yet commit to trading for a shot creator until they can figure out how to keep Thompson in an assertive space on offense.
Ausar Thompson is too passive to bring in another shot creator—for now
Thompson is showing signs of promise on the offensive end of the floor. For instance: His usage rate is up 1.1 percent from 2025-26, his free throw percentage is up 9.6 percent, and the team is outscoring opponents by 15.6 points per 100 possessions when he's on the court compared to 11.6 a season ago.
There's an obvious argument that it's too soon to know just how long this will last, but it'd be silly to pay him $155 million and then pull the rug out from under him as he begins to improve.
Instead, the Pistons should trust Thompson to continue working on his game from both a skill and mentality perspective. He's still showing passive tendencies, but it's clear that he's at least trying to work through them for the betterment of the team.
If that ultimately leads to Thompson evolving as an offensive player, then the Pistons will become an infinitely better team without having to give up resources in a trade.
It's too soon to know if a trade would disrupt Thompson's growth
Due to his passive nature on offense, however, adding a player who commands significant offensive touches could complicate his growth. He may defer more often than he should and clear space for his new teammate to play the very style the Pistons are asking Thompson to play.
It's simply too soon to know how a trade before February would impact Thompson during the early stages of a shift in offensive mentality.
Furthermore, Thompson has been making these improvements with Jalen Duren sidelined by an injury. As such, the Pistons should give their core trio a chance to learn how to play within the structure of Thompson's changing approach before adding a high-volume player to the mix.
The day may ultimately come when the Pistons have to bite the bullet and accept Thompson's limitations, but that day simply hasn't arrived yet.
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