There is less than a month and a half left before the start of the regular season. The Detroit Pistons are three weeks away from training camp, which kicks off on September 29. Coming off a 60-win season, the Pistons are entering the 2026-27 campaign with a ton of expectations.
Before they can even begin talking about meeting these expectations, they have to resolve the Jalen Duren saga. He remains unsigned in restricted free agency, but signs are pointing toward his return, at least for another season.
Once Duren re-signs, the Pistons will have 16 players under contract. This means that we have to see another trade or release before the season. Training camp and preseason could give us an answer as to who will be the odd man out. Here are the three most likely players to be on the chopping block.
Gary Harris
The 31-year-old shooting guard arrived from Milwaukee as part of the Caris LeVert trade. Since this was more of a cost-cutting move by the Pistons, it's not clear how much Detroit actually covets Harris.
Sure, the Pistons would like to get a look at Harris, as he is a capable veteran backup, but his path to playing time is going to be hard. The Pistons have an abundance of shooting guards. Between Isaiah Joe, Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, and Daniss Jenkins, how Harris could carve out a role for himself is unclear.
Unless he surprises everyone at camp, Harris may be the most likely Piston not to be on the roster on opening day.
Taurean Prince
Prince arrived in Detroit in the same LeVert trade, but his path to a rotation role is less rocky. Thanks to his ability to guard forwards, he plays a more premium position than Harris. Prince was also an impressive 43.8% shooter from downtown over the last two seasons. The Pistons need as much shooting as they can get, especially in the frontcourt.
At the same time, Prince is 32 years old. He missed 56 games last season, mostly due to a herniated disc in his neck. His offensive game is limited outside of shooting threes, and he isn't the defender he used to be. So, there is definitely a scenario in which the Pistons consider him expendable and part ways.
Chaz Lanier
If the Pistons decide to go in a more veteran route and want to keep both Harris and Prince, then Lanier may be in trouble.
The 24-year-old shooting guard, who was Detroit's second-round pick in 2025, has to take a big step forward after a quiet rookie campaign. He showed signs of that in the Summer League after he made a ton of threes.
But that is all he can do at this stage of his career. He is still an unproven player. If his shot isn't falling, he could find himself falling further down the depth chart. Considering how many other shooting guard options there are on the roster, Lanier can't afford not to hit shots.
He is more likely to make the roster than the previous two names on the roster, but Lanier isn't going to be safe all season.
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