The scariest thing about standing pat at the trade deadline is that you don't know whether a team made the right decision until it's too late. The Detroit Pistons seem to be taking that strategy over the next few weeks; NBA insider Jake Fischer recently reported that the Pistons are sending out signals that they're likely not interested in a splashy move:
"The Pistons continue to message that they aren't in any hurry to sacrifice prime draft capital or significant trade equity to make a major in-season addition."
That's okay... Right? Probably.
While 2025-26 doesn't feel like a "Finals or bust" year for the Pistons, it does feel like a year they can legitimately win the Eastern Conference, and leaving anything on the table is a scary proposition, because despite how set up this team looks for the future, things change quickly in the NBA. Thus, doing nothing at all still feels like a big decision.
Pistons are preparing to pay youngsters Duren and Thompson
Fischer also noted that a big reason the Pistons aren't calling every other team and begging for a high-level scorer is because they know that two guys already on the team — Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson — will need to get paid soon:
"Keeping their cap sheet as clean as possible is a significant consideration, with Detroit fully aware that Jalen Duren has played his way into a massive second contract this summer. Also: Ausar Thompson's own rookie extension eligibility begins in July and runs through the day before next season starts."
That makes sense; both guys have earned their stay on the Pistons long-term, and both are important pieces for the future of this franchise. Clearing the way for both to get paid is probably a savvy decision by GM Trajan Langdon. It also seems like a foregone conclusion that Daniss Jenkins' contract is converted into a standard NBA deal, so he becomes eligible for the playoffs. Jenkins has been a massive success story for the team this year — seeing him play in the postseason will be dang cool.
Still, standing pat via trades (while other teams in the East presumably make moves) will leave a low hum of anxiety in the stomachs of Pistons fans who wonder if this roster can get the job done. If it's not broken, don't fix it, though, and the Pistons definitely aren't broken right now.
But could they be more fixed?