The Detroit Pistons have been active in their efforts to overcome a turbulent start to the 2025 offseason. They signed Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson in free agency, instantly bolstering the strength of the second unit.
For as tempting as it may be to continue adding to the roster, the Pistons must press pause on that goal and instead prioritize the future of the players in place.
Detroit will enter the 2025-26 season with a rotation that one could argue runs at least 10 players deep. Starting guards Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey are backed up by LeVert and Marcus Sasser, much as forwards Tobias Harris and Ausar Thompson are flanked by Ronald Holland II and Robinson.
The Pistons also project to run it back with the longstanding duo of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart as the starting and backup centers.
A case could be made that Detroit would benefit from improved consistency in certain areas, but those weaknesses will be important to evaluate in 2025-26. Duren, Harris, and Ivey will all become free agents next summer, and Sasser presents the Pistons with questions to answer, as well.
Rather than crowding the rotation with additions who would consume invaluable playing time, Detroit must ensure that the aforementioned quartet of players has a chance to make a final statement.
Pistons must evaluate pending free agents in 2025-26
Duren and Ivey are eligible for restricted free agency in 2026, which offers the Pistons a measure of comfort in how they can proceed. The organization will be able to match any contract offer said players receive and could thus bring them back regardless of what transpires in 2025-26.
The other side of that conversation, however, is that Detroit must figure out an accurate valuation for Duren and Ivey as players—a process that will require considerable minutes going their way.
Harris, meanwhile, will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026. He was a revelation during his first season in Detroit, reminding his critics that he was always a high-level player—even when his contract wasn't necessarily aligning with his production.
Harris will turn 34 next July, however, meaning the Pistons need to gather as much information about where his career is headed before potentially re-signing him.
Pistons must decide if Marcus Sasser factors into long-term vision
Sasser is perhaps the most polarizing of the names mentioned, as his tremendous per-36 statistics have failed to translate to consistent playing time. Through two seasons, he's compiled averages of 16.0 points, 6.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.5 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes on .441/.378/.863 shooting.
Unfortunately, he averaged just 19.0 minutes per game as a rookie and saw an immediate decline in year two, registering a mere 14.2 minutes per contest.
Signing a more proven commodity to operate in the backup point guard role would likely prove beneficial in the short term. Dennis Schröder proved as much in 2024-25, when Detroit's mid-season trade for the veteran transformed the outlook of their season.
Sasser's production is that of a starting-caliber player, however, and the Pistons need to determine whether or not those numbers are empty calories or flush with substance.
It's an admittedly polarizing strategy that could limit the Pistons' short-term potential—possibly even resulting in less-than-optimal team success ahead of the 2026 trade deadline. The long-term benefit of these priorities, however, would be the opportunity to confirm how each individual fits alongside Cade Cunningham as a member of a potential contender.
With the franchise player already in place, the 2025-26 season marks the perfect opportunity for the Pistons to decide who can best help Cunningham lead the franchise back to the promised land.