The Detroit Pistons need to build around Cade Cunningham. That’s the key to them winning a championship. But he can’t copy Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Oklahoma City Thunder drafted SGA’s help. So, the Pistons need to copy what the New York Knicks did for Jalen Brunson: Trade for offensive help.
Team-building in the NBA varies. Every team manages to build its squad in a different way, and so many different ways can be effective. For the Pistons, the time for drafting players to help Cunningham is over. They found solid pieces, but none who are good enough to help carry the load on offense. So, now, they have to turn their attention to the trade market.
They need to copy the Brunson path, not the SGA path.
Pistons need to copy Jalen Brunson for Cade Cunningham instead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Obviously, Gilgeous-Alexander was traded to the Thunder. He wasn’t drafted by OKC. But once the Thunder got him on board, they went to work, building a good team around him.
The Thunder drafted Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, both of whom have since blossomed into All-Stars. They also drafted and brought in guys like Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, Lu Dort, and Jaylin Williams, all of whom have played important roles.
OKC signed guys like Isaiah Hartenstein and traded for guys like Alex Caruso, but those players are supporting pieces. Role players in the Thunder’s system, not high-powered offensive focal points.
Cunningham is the leader of the Pistons’ offense. Detroit drafted Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson to play alongside him, but unlike the Thunder’s crew, those guys haven’t provided enough offensive support.
So, instead of trying to draft their way to the top, the Pistons will now have to pivot a little bit, perhaps even copying the way the Knicks built their team around Brunson. A team that just won the 2026 NBA Championship.
New York signed Brunson in free agency, and from there, they found different ways of maximizing his talent through trades. A lot of trades.
The Knicks traded Julius Randle for Karl-Anthony Towns. They traded RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for OG Anunoby. They traded Cam Reddish for Josh Hart. And they traded a ton of picks for Mikal Bridges.
That’s the entire New York starting lineup. The offense Brunson needed around him to win at the highest level. And the trades worked.
So, though Cunningham won’t find success the same way SGA did, as the Thunder drafted his offensive support, the Pistons can still copy the Knicks’ way of business.
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