By almost every measure, the Detroit Pistons have improved this season.
Despite their inconsistency, it’s mostly been positive for Detroit, as the team has hit or exceeded many of the markers set for them before the season began.
Cade Cunningham has made a leap and looks the part of a franchise player. Jaden Ivey has improved on both ends and has been much more efficient.
All of the young players have made some kind of leap and the veteran additions in the offseason have helped the Pistons in that area as well as in the standings, where they would currently be in the play-in tournament.
I can’t complain about any of that and already have more faith in this front office than I ever did in the last one, so things are looking up for the Pistons.
In that context, calling any player a “disappointment’ may be hyperbole but does show some of the challenges the Pistons face in the future when it comes to making trades.
Here are the three most disappointing Pistons so far and the tough calls that will have to be made in the future.
Simone Fontecchio
Fontecchio hasn’t established much of a role for himself this season and his numbers are way down from the strong run he had with the Pistons to end last season.
He’s averaging just six points per game in 18 minutes while shooting 34 percent from long range.
More than that, he’s been largely invisible on offense with no established role, so he’s had no rhythm this season, one that started just after an offseason toe surgery.
It doesn’t seem like we’ve seen the best of Fontecchio, nor what he can mean to this team, so trading him now would be selling low on a guy we know can be better.
There is also the issue of his contract, which is reasonable and will never be hard to move on its own or as part of a bigger deal. It might be tempting to dump Fontecchio now to clear more run for the two #5 picks, but if the Pistons are truly going to be good anytime soon, Fontecchio is the type of player you need, as he can produce and is on a team-friendly deal.
That being said, he hasn’t produced, and the Pistons would be better off giving his minutes to Ausar Thompson and rookie Ron Holland II if Tek is going to be a below league average shooter.
If the Pistons find the right deal or need his contract to grease the wheels of a bigger one, Trajan Langdon will have to consider it, but it does feel like Tek has more to offer.
Tobias Harris
If you told me before the season that Harris was going to average 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds my response would have been, “yep.”
That’s about what we expected from Harris, who is past his prime, but provides solid veteran scoring and leadership. What we didn’t expect was for Harris to do it on the worst shooting numbers of his career, as he is shooting just 44 percent from the floor overall and just 33.6 percent from long range, each career worsts and well below his career averages.
He has hit some big shots and is providing the type of leadership the Pistons expected, but $26 million a season will eventually be a high cost to pay for those mediocre shooting splits as the Pistons continue to try and improve.
Harris is only signed through next season, so this isn’t going to be catastrophic to the Pistons’ future either way. As an expiring contract, he could be an asset in a big trade next summer and it’s not like the guy is a bum, he’s just overpaid for his production.
Harris on Fontecchio’s deal would be a steal, but not at three times the price.
Harris isn’t likely going anywhere this season, as the Pistons do need him and no other team is going to trade for that contract. There’s a good chance Harris is part of the Pistons until next season’s trade deadline, at which point Langdon may be trying to swing for a big move and that contract will be easier to swallow.
Jalen Duren
This is the toughest call the Pistons have to make, as Duren has shown great promise, is still very young but still has some of the same issues.
Context is important with Duren, as he is only 21-years-old, younger than many of the players in the 2025 draft class, something to keep in mind for those who are ready to give up on the Duren experiment.
He has also improved in key areas this season even though his overall numbers are down, as he is blocking more shots and has been even more efficient around the rim.
But he still has big defensive lapses, as well as droughts of effort, still makes a lot of mistakes and the Pistons have a negative net rating whenever he’s on the floor despite occasional flashes of dominance, which he does have.
And again, given the context of his age, you would expect these exact kinds of flaws.
It comes down the question of whether you believe Jalen Duren can be the starting center on a playoff team, and if the answer is no, selling on him now may be the answer.
It’s going to be tough call, as it’s not like there is a long line of All-Star centers ready to take his place on the Pistons and Duren has shown All-Star flashes on both ends that experience and reps will hopefully bring with more consistency.
Duren is eligible for an extension next summer, so this is a decision Trajan Langdon is going to have to make at some point. It doesn’t have to be soon, as he could just let Duren play out his contract without an extension and see what happens, which carries its own amount of risk.
This will be one of the toughest calls Langdon has to make early in his tenure with the Pistons.