The Detroit Pistons have surprised most people with a winning record at the All-Star break, exceeding all but the most optimistic expectations.
They played it smart at the trade deadline, kept their core intact, added a useful player and a few draft picks and kept the momentum moving forward with a group that has real chemistry.
Given their unexpected surge, Trajan Langdon may be tempted to speed up the team’s timeline this summer by adding another star-level player.
I should start by saying that I am not sure the Pistons really need to do this, as they aren’t that far from being a contender and can hopefully count on increased development (and the return of Jaden Ivey) from their young players next season to help get them there. Patience may be their best asset.
If Ausar Thompson makes the kind of leap that Cade Cunningham made this season after a full offseason and training camp, the Pistons may not need to go looking for another star.
But if Langdon does decide to go that route, the Pistons will be in a good position to land one for a number of reasons.
The Pistons are now an attractive destination
Detroit isn’t going to land a star in free agency, mostly because there really aren’t any, so if they do make a big move, it will have to be a trade.
But we all know star players have some say in where they end up, a fact that hasn’t helped Detroit much in recent years, as they’ve been horrible, playing in front of empty crowds and looked like they were going nowhere.
That has changed and there is real buzz around this team that has rippled out into the league at large.
Cade Cunningham is a star, and more than that, a guy most players would love to play with, as he’s unselfish and a great passer who is just as concerned with hunting assists as points.
They have a young roster filled mostly with guys who don’t need the ball much to be effective, players like Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart and Ron Holland II. They have the guys to do the dirty work, so if you are a star who wants to join a team where there will be plenty of shots for you, Detroit is looking pretty good.
They will only have one max contract on the books for next season, so there is future money there for another star, so Detroit is shaping up as a hot destination for anyone that wants to join an up-and-coming team in a good situation.
Don’t tell me players don’t want to play in Detroit when the current best teams are OKC and Cleveland. Indiana, Milwaukee, Memphis and Denver are all small-market teams who guys want to play for because they have a superstar and are winning.
It’s that simple: Win and they will come, especially when there is already a young star in place.
There will be big trades this summer
The tax aprons were supposed to slow down trades, but NBA teams still found a way at the trade deadline, where many stars, including a top-5 player in the league, were moved to new teams.
That will be the case this summer, as teams like the Suns might realize that having some amount of financial flexibility matters. Every team that misses the playoffs or underachieves is going to hit the summer looking to reboot.
That doesn’t always mean trades, but it won’t take more than 1-2 teams to set off a huge domino effect of stars switching teams. If Kevin Durant wants out (for example), the team acquiring him will have to trade a big salary or two to make room, which puts those players on the market, and so on and so forth.
There is no guarantee, but I would bet we’ll see a handful of impact players moved this summer, so the Pistons will have options if the right guy becomes available.
The Pistons finally have assets
Making a big trade requires three things most of the time:
-A big expiring contract. Check.
-Draft assets. Check.
-Young talent. Check.
The Pistons will have the $26 million expiring deal of Tobias Harris to lump into a trade if they want to.
If they lose their pick to Minnesota (which they would as of now), the Pistons will open up the possibility of moving several picks as soon as their 2025 pick conveys, something they have not been unable to do since 2020.
Detroit has good young players and probably can’t keep them all, so a guy like Jaden Ivey could be an attractive target for a team looking to reset around youth.
A young player, big expiring and a few first-round picks is the kind of package you need to land a star.
As I said, I don’t really think the Pistons will go this route, but may instead look into the next tier of players, the Cam Johnsons of the world to add quality depth, which has been a theme this year with teams like OKC and Cleveland dominating with quality depth behind their stars.
It’s going to be an interesting summer in Detroit.