Detroit Pistons Offseason Review: The Value, Questions, and Problems

The Detroit Pistons had a polarizing offseason, with many media personalities dropping them from their 2025-26 predictions. The Pistons added Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, and Javonte Green. They also selected Chaz Lanier with the 37th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. They resigned Paul Reed as well. They lost Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schröder to free agency. Malik Beasley is unlikely to return due to the gambling saga (involved in investigation, no longer under investigation, and the Pistons' response to the saga).

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Detroit Pistons Offseason

The Value

Those three veterans undoubtedly contributed to the Pistons' 30-game turnaround and playoff appearance, but the additions help adjust to the losses. Duncan Robinson is a career 39.7% three-point shooter. He moves without the ball well and plays off the pick and roll, too. He fits the mold of players who help Cade Cunningham by opening up the paint.

Caris LeVert will handle some point guard duties. He gets into the paint and causes problems. The fact that he played for J.B. Bickerstaff in Cleveland and both parties wanted to reunite should encourage fans as well. Some media were frustrated about his lack of three-point shooting, but if he plays alongside Robinson, that shouldn't be as big a problem. Additionally, that second unit will play with physicality. Isaiah Stewart and Ron Holland should help cause problems on defense. This team will score in the paint and on the break.

Paul Reed's return went somewhat unnoticed. He provided valuable minutes to the team in 2024-25 as the third-string center. Having a reliable option in case of injuries (Stewart and Jalen Duren have both had issues) and foul trouble (see previous parentheses) is an invaluable asset.

The Questions

Jaden Ivey's return is the focal point of what the Pistons did or, rather, didn't do this offseason. Can he be a second ballhandler to Cade? Can he be the team's second star? Can he pick up where he left off before his injury? If the answer to all three questions is yes, Ivey is the Pistons' biggest pickup, and Trajan Langdon will be vindicated in his choice to emphasize internal development. If the answer is no, the Pistons will still compete for a similar seeding as last season.

Duren, Holland, and Ausar Thompson's development is also in question. If each takes another step forward, the team will obviously improve. Duren needs to stay out of foul trouble and continue improving in pick-and-roll defense. Holland's decision-making and outside shooting will need to improve. Thompson could also be the team's secondary ballhandler.

Beasley, Hardaway Jr, and Schröder will have to be replaced by committee. If the team sees these improvements, that will go a long way. Furthermore, Cunningham is still improving. Per PistonPowered, he's on pace to be a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-type player.

There are a lot of what-ifs. The team needs at least a few to come true to improve on last season's success.

The Problems

The Pistons' biggest problem this year will be expectations. After years of basement dwelling, the Detroit fan base will expect the team to improve this year. The "Oh, they're just young" losses won't be tolerated going forward. The Lions recently lost one game, and the fans lost their minds. The Tigers' first half created expectations that they are failing to meet. The Pistons' success will garner much more criticism this year, especially if Ivey or Duren struggle early. They become offseason mock trade darlings for those obsessed with acquiring a Kevin Durant-type player.

The outside shooting criticisms are far overblown. This Pistons team emphasizes scoring in the paint, but if they become too three-point happy, that will become another problem. They shoot threes to open up the paint, not the other way around. Only six of the top 15 teams with the most 3-point attempts per game made the playoffs. Eight of the top fifteen in 3-point makes per game made the playoffs. Five of those teams made the second round. The Celtics, Cavaliers, and Warriors finished in the top five but failed to advance to the conference finals. The point here is that three-point shooting is overvalued. If the Pistons stick to their identity, they will be in good shape.

(All stats provided by Basketball Reference and StatMuse)

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