Detroit Pistons Offseason 2026: Did They Do Enough to Become Title Contenders?

May 15, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) listens to the national anthem before game six between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Pistons in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Detroit Pistons offseason has been quietly positive in terms of roster upgrades, and it's not getting enough attention. For a team that was just the first seed in the Eastern Conference last season, you'd think people's attention would be on the moves they're making, but that's not the case. Most of their additions are going under the radar because of the major moves around the league, which makes sense. When players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, LaMelo Ball, and Kawhi Leonard, if that scandal ever ends, get moved, the attention will be on them. 

Do The Moves Of The Pistons Offseason 2026 Do Anything?

The Pistons offseason moves in 2026 might not have been major like some of the moves that have been going on, but sometimes the smaller moves can be just as important. Detroit went on to sign John Collins to a three-year, $51 million deal, and he provides much-needed floor spacing, as he shot 40.6% from three last season. Collins also provides another lob-threat option for Cade Cunningham, which will be a formidable pick-and-roll combo. They also acquired Isaiah Joe from the Oklahoma City Thunder for draft considerations, and he provides floor spacing with his 42.3% from three last season. 

Apr 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis (7) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Clippers forward John Collins (20) in the first half during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Other Pistons additions: 

Taurean Prince & Garry Harris: Brought in via multi-team transactions from Milwaukee in July.

Rookies/Two-Ways: Signed draft pick Ebuka Okorie to a rookie scale contract and Ugonna Onyenso to a two-way deal.

We can see that Detroit really wanted to add more shooting to their roster, and they did exactly that, but it also cost them to lose some players. Players like Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert, and Marcus Sasser have all departed during the offseason. Harris is a big loss, as he was essentially the second scoring option for the Pistons in the playoffs. Stewart was another big loss because he provided the toughness and rim protection that Jalen Duren lacked throughout the playoffs. 

Detroit doesn't have a set-and-stone second scoring option on the roster, but one thing they do have is the defense to make up for that. They were one win shy of making it to the conference finals with their second-leading scorer only averaging 14.3 points per game, and Duren in a slump. You add more consistent scoring to this team, and suddenly they'd be in the conference finals fighting for a spot in the Finals. 

Pistons defensive stats from the 2025-26 season:

Defensive Rating: 109.7 (2nd in NBA)

Points Allowed Per Game: 109.6 (3rd in NBA)

Steals Per Game: 10.4 (among league leaders)

Blocks Per Game: 6.4

Opponent 3-Point Percentage: 35.0% (tied for 8th best)

May 24, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) moves the ball in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game four of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Cunningham will be in for another season of heavy lifting with this squad, so don't be surprised if he surpasses his averages of 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 9.9 assists. Detroit's projected starting lineup for next season is Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Collins, and Duren. While I do think this team did get better overall, I don't expect them to win more games than last season, when they had a 60-22 record. They most likely won't win as many games or be the first seed again because of the number of teams that got better in the East this offseason. 

End Of Detroit Pistons Offseason 2026 Rant

They'll be a great regular season team again, and barring any injuries, will finish as a top four seed in the conference. Their improvements won't show until the playoffs, which we'll see if they truly did get better from last season. Their offseason deserves a B grade for the moves they made, and it does move the needle in terms of contending for a championship. 

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