While the Detroit Pistons are still dealing with the Jalen Duren restricted free agency saga, the Clippers and Raptors agreed to complete the Kawhi Leonard trade, as reported by ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania. Toronto got its wish, positioning itself to compete for a championship with the star once again.
The Raptors finished fifth in the East last season with a 46-36 record, and if Leonard stays healthy (and there is a lot of emphasis on that), Toronto has the talent to overtake Detroit in the standings, even more so with Duren's future on hold.
The Pistons aren't in win-now mode, unlike the Raptors with Leonard, but the success they've built over the past couple of seasons has stalled. They're coming off a first-place finish in the East and made it to the semifinals for the first time since 2008, but they've had a lackluster offseason.
Tobias Harris left in free agency, and the Pistons traded Isaiah Stewart. Their main addition was John Collins, whose three-point shooting will help Detroit's spacing, but he doesn't move the needle that much. Their best moves could be coming to terms on new deals with Duren (if that ever happens) and Ausar Thompson.
Raptors complete Kawhi Leonard trade
It's tough to predict where Detroit will finish in the conference standings, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Duren's future.
What we do know is that it doesn't help the Pistons' case that the Raptors should vault up a few spots from where they finished last year.
Combine that with the new-look Sixers, Tyrese Haliburton returning for the Pacers, the Hawks looking to build off their success, the Cavaliers running it back and adding Peyton Watson, the Heat getting Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum looking more like himself for the Celtics, and the Knicks being the Knicks, the road looks even tougher for the Pistons.
Cade Cunningham is one of the best guards in the league, but Detroit hasn't yet found the right star to pair alongside him to boost the Pistons' offense, while other teams around them have added more firepower. Leonard, who averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game last season, is the latest proof of that.
Detroit could take a step back this season as the rest of the conference gets stronger, while the Pistons have spent much of the summer trying to sort things out internally and making a few moves around the edges.
That doesn't mean the Pistons won't be a top-six team in the East, but the hurdles they'll have to clear to get there look more daunting after their opponents' moves. After all, we do know what the Raptors are capable of with Kawhi. They hope they can recreate that magic.
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