Regardless of what transpires during the remainder of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the Detroit Pistons will need to make a splash in free agency. Cade Cunningham put together an All-NBA season, but the lack of shooting and shot creation alongside him has proven to be a fatal flaw in Detroit.
Thankfully, the Pistons' perfect offseason target is thriving nearby: Minnesota Timberwolves guard and former Chicago Bulls standout Ayo Dosunmu.
Dosunmu spent the better part of his first five NBA seasons playing as a rival of the Pistons in Chicago. He's now less than two hours away by flight in Minneapolis, which makes his Midwest traversing almost poetic in regard to what should come next.
Dosunmu will be an unrestricted free agent this coming summer and should have a fair number of suitors after breaking out during the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Dosunmu opened eyes when he dropped 43 points to give the Timberwolves a 3-1 series lead over the Denver Nuggets. It was a career-best performance, but it was also bookeneded by solid showings with 25 points and nine assists in Game 3 and 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting in Game 5.
Detroit hardly needed to see Dosunmu break out in the playoffs, however, to know that their former division rival would be a perfect addition alongside Cunningham.
Pistons must move mountains to bring Ayo Dosunmu to Detroit
Dosunmu is a career 38.0 percent three-point shooter, which is reason enough to give him a look in free agency. Detroit ranked No. 28 in three-point field goals made during the 2025-26 regular season and has routinely forced Cunningham to create without ideal spacing during the playoffs.
Coming off of a season in which he shot 43.9 percent from beyond the arc, Dosunmu has the skill set to help resolve Detroit's most obvious offensive flaw.
What makes him a dream target, however, is that he doesn't just check one box on the Pistons' list of needs. Dosunmu is also a proven shot creator who can attack off the bounce, get into the heart of a defense, and convert with efficiency.
In 2025-26, Dosunmu shot 50.6 percent from the field on 7.6 drives per game—numbers that clear Detroit's No. 2 player in said area, Daniss Jenkins, at 7.5 drives and 38.5 percent shooting.
As for the defensive end of the floor, Dosunmu plays with energy both on and away from the ball. That would help him fit the Pistons' demanding defensive system and maintain the integrity of the culture that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has established.
Signing Dosunmu could prove costly, but as the Pistons search for ways to take pressure off of Cunningham, this is the type of move that can save him from continued postseason struggles.
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