The Detroit Pistons have a superstar in Cade Cunningham, so their goal should be to maximize his prime for an NBA title.
Although it seems like it was just yesterday that the Pistons drafted Cunningham with the first pick, he’ll be entering his 6th season next year, and while Detroit is certainly better, they still have some of the same problems.
Trajan Langdon has his chance to put a stamp on the team and to show his superstar he’s trying to give him the tools he needs, but what that looks like is anyone’s guess.
The big swing for the Pistons
Trajan Langdon has resisted the urge to cash in his trade assets for a star swing so far, but it’s going to be more difficult to continue that strategy.
Cunningham only played with his first All-Star this season, and let’s be real, if there weren’t copious injuries, Jalen Duren probably doesn’t make the All-Star or All-NBA team even though he did have an excellent season.
But after the playoffs, no one can possibly view Duren as a viable number two, so where is that guy going to come from? There have been a million possibilities presented, and almost all of them have gigantic red flags, especially the older players like Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard who have lengthy injury histories and tricky contract situations.
Langdon isn’t going to sacrifice a big trade package for someone who won’t move the needle or has big question marks, so those hoping for a splashy name this summer may be disappointed.
But the Pistons are going to invest in Cade’s future one way or another.
The statement Detroit makes may not be the one fans want to hear
Many of the fans I speak to are sick to death of hearing the word “patience”, but they might be hearing it again this summer.
The Pistons are likely to invest big money in Jalen Duren as a restricted free agent, which I am sure Cunningham will like, but it will limit their flexibility moving forward.
Same with Ausar Thompson, whose possible extension this summer could put the Pistons even deeper into the status quo. Detroit could have the trio they plan to build around for the foreseeable future locked up after this summer.
That’s great, but then what? Internal improvement alone is not likely enough to get the Pistons over the hump, so even though they will be investing heavily into the financial side this summer, they also have to make some gains on the talent side.
There will be a statement made this summer, and it will either be “we are ready to go for it and max out Cade’s window with another costly star,” or “we think this team can grow with less glamorous additions if we stay the course.”
It’s going to be a bold statement either way, but we’ll know how the Pistons plan to maximize their superstar very soon.
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