A second-round exit isn't the outcome the Detroit Pistons had in mind for their season, especially after their dominant regular season led them to the No. 1 overall seed.
However, the team's postseason exit may have been the exact wake-up call they needed to realize they're not nearly as close to contending as their 82-game campaign suggested they were.
General manager Trajan Langdon addressed the media on Tuesday for the first time since the team's season came to an end, and if there's anything to take away from his comments, it's that the team will do whatever it takes to improve their roster.
Pistons will attempt to make a big move
Finding Cade Cunningham an adequate running mate is among the biggest priorities for the Pistons, and it's clear Langdon knows that if they hope to build a title contender, that's step one.
And according to Pistons' beat reporter Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press, the general manager reiterated that the team will look at everything this offseason, especially a big swing to bolster their roster.
Langdon's reiterated several times the team will take a look at "everything" regarding adding a big swing, second scorer, etc. "We’ll take a holistic view of the roster. We’re still a young team … we’ll take a deep dive, we’ll figure out what we need to add."
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) May 19, 2026
Langdon's comments should be taken with a grain of salt, considering that just because the team wants to make a big move, it doesn't mean they will.
Nonetheless, for the GM to go on record to acknowledge the team's lack of a second scorer and specifically mention that a deep dive is on the table should be music to fans' ears.
If the fanbase has been begging for the team to add more scoring help to take the pressure off Cunningham, there's no doubt that the front office is well aware of what needs to be done in order to get over the hump.
Following a first-round exit last year as a middle seed in the East, the Pistons had no urgency to take a bold swing.
This offseason, a second-round exit as a No. 1 seed screams that. A move needs to be made, and all signs suggest the front office understands that, too.
Detroit has the pieces to trade now
This time last offseason, Detroit still wasn't entirely certain about what they had on their roster.
The Pistons held out hope that Ausar Thompson could take a leap offensively to become a legit two-way guy, and the emergence of Jalen Duren in the regular season to immediately fall back down to earth in the postseason wasn't expected.
Nonetheless, with Detroit now having at least a better understanding of what they have in their roster, they could be more willing to offload young talent if it leads to a noteworthy addition.
Langdon is aware of the moves the team needs to make, and the deep dive comments simply suggest the front office understands they're not as close as they want to be.
Add us as a preferred source on Google