The Pistons made a brilliant move to trade for Isaiah Joe on Friday, but they can't let that be their biggest addition this summer. Joe fits the team extremely well and should address some roster holes right away, but Detroit still needs to add more help for Cade Cunningham to make a deep playoff run. If the Pistons end the offseason without any more major upgrades, it will be a massive failure to capitalize on Cade's emerging stardom.
The Pistons still need to make other moves
Hopefully Joe's arrival should only help the Pistons direct their trade efforts better going forward, rather than stagnating with their current roster. As the Pistons currently stand, their only power forward option is veteran free agent Tobias Harris. Harris was solid to begin the 2026 playoffs, but flamed out later on as the Cavs adjusted their gameplan and the Pistons asked too much.
If Harris has to play the same role as secondary scorer again next year, the Pistons should be disappointed. They obviously need more reliable scoring and shooting from that position. Big names like Lauri Markkanen and Michael Porter Jr have long been tied to Detroit for that exact reason.
At the same time, the Pistons front office knows they must approach a big trade with caution. They can't waste their limited assets on a star pickup that isn't worth the squeeze. Since the Pistons don't have a huge treasure trove of upcoming draft picks or high-potential prospects, they need to be diligent in which players are worth a big swing.
Next season will be a big one in Detroit
After taking an unexpected leap in the regular season to win 60 games, the Pistons will have even higher expectations for next season. However, regular season success will be practically irrelevant as long as the Pistons qualify for the playoffs. They are now in the stage of their team trajectory where postseason success is the only important factor.
That's where adding another star to diversify the offense and limit Cade's load can be so valuable. At multiple points in the Pistons' two hard-fought series this year, Cade seemed gassed as defenses loaded up on him entirely. If the Pistons had a trustworthy second option who could get their own shot without Cade setting him up, the whole team would benefit.
The Pistons can't afford to waste another year of Cade's development asking him to do too much without proper offensive help. Practically every other team in the league with a young player of Cade's caliber has made moves to add an All-Star talent next to him; it's high time for the Pistons to do the same this offseason. We can't have another year largely running it back.
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