The Detroit Pistons' lack of splashes this offseason has sent frustration through the fanbase, and while it's hard to defend the slow start from Trajan Langdon, the offseason is far from over.
Several big-name trade targets have already come off the board, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, and Kawhi Leonard already finding new homes this offseason.
Obviously, the window for Detroit to land any of the above names has closed, but there's still one realistic pathway that could help the Pistons acquire a massive reinforcement for Cade Cunningham.
Pistons could steal land Brandon Ingram
The Pistons' interest in Kawhi Leonard on the trade market was very real, but the two-way forward made it clear behind the scenes that if the LA Clippers did move him, he'd only ink an extension with one of his two former teams: the San Antonio Spurs or Toronto Raptors.
As a result, Detroit backed off their pursuit of Leonard, which led to the Raptors securing a reunion with the forward in a deal that sent Brandon Ingram to the Clippers alongside Gradey Dick and draft compensation.
The interesting part, though, is that, unlike all the other moves around the league, this trade in particular has yet to be finalized.
LA seems to be flirting with the idea of rerouting Ingram, and with their reported interest in pursuing restricted free agent Peyton Watson, it makes sense that they could simply be keeping the door open to flipping the former No. 2 overall pick to the Denver Nuggets in hopes of bringing Watson in.
There's also a possibility that the Clippers could simply flip Ingram elsewhere, giving themselves more financial flexibility to still make a run at Watson, but while also considering additional moves.
If that is the case, the Pistons could be presented with the opportunity to sneak into a potentially larger deal to bring Ingram back to the Motor City, giving Cunningham a viable second option on offense.
The salary gymnastics behind any deal would certainly be interesting. Still, until a deal for Ingram is finalized, the possibility of an additional team like Detroit getting involved can't be ruled out.
With the Pistons still having to navigate the restricted free agency of Jalen Duren, Langdon's top priority is likely finding a solution to that ongoing saga with their All-NBA big man before he can consider making any other moves.
At the same time, finding Cunningham some help was the top priority entering the offseason, and although the Pistons have revamped their depth chart, it's safe to say the moves up to this point aren't exactly needle movers.
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