The Detroit Pistons’ payroll is perfectly set up to chase a superstar in the summer of 2027, right when there will potentially be several available.
The Pistons only have one guaranteed contract in 2027, which belongs to Cade Cunningham. Other than that, they have team options on Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland and Bobi Klintman.
Of course, the Pistons are likely to re-sign several of their own players in between now and then, as both Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren are up for extensions this summer and Ausar Thompson will be eligible at this time next year.
Depending on what the Pistons do, they could have a ton of money to chase a second superstar, and there happen to be several of them who could be available.
Superstar free agents in the summer of 2027
We always hear about “big summers for free agents” or how some future class will be the best one ever, though it rarely turns out that way (more on that in a second).
But it’s hard to ignore the names: The list is headlined by Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell, but you also potentially have Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Michael Porter Jr. and Tyler Herro as secondary options.
Many of those players would have no interest in coming to Detroit and can be struck off immediately. Others might be too old and on the downsides of their careers.
But with a young superstar of their own and a team that will hopefully be chasing top seeds in the Eastern Conference over the next two seasons, Detroit could be an attractive destination to an aging superstar who wanted to chase rings.
The Pistons are set up, but there are some major roadblocks.
Detroit Pistons free agency: Pipe dreams and competition
The first problem is that most, if not all, of these players will either re-sign with their current teams or be traded and extended by whoever gets them, even if it is on a short-term deal. The Pistons could get involved in that way, but it’s unlikely that they sign one of these players outright in free agency, as stars rarely get there.
Detroit will also have competition, with several teams gearing up for that summer, including the Heat and Clippers, two teams that are generally more attractive destinations for free agents and superstars than Detroit.
The Heat have held back this summer and aren’t committing to anyone beyond Bam Adebayo, possibly in an attempt to go after Giannis.
The Clippers have just one guaranteed contract n 2027 and will be in position to chase any stars that are available.
These factors aren’t going away, which is why Detroit’s best bet is to develop stars of their own rather than to wait for free agents who probably aren’t coming.