The Detroit Pistons are entering the offseason with a ton of questions. They have to upgrade their roster to get over the hump to become title contenders next season and beyond. This requires them to be aggressive in free agency and the trade market. Who exactly will be available on the trade block remains to be seen, but what do the Pistons have to offer in trade talks? What do their trade assets look like?
For any star on the trade block, the Pistons essentially have the ability to beat any offer. Almost no team has the combination of financial flexibility, draft capital, and young players that the Pistons have. Detroit has enough matching salary and assets to make a competitive offer to any player in any contract situation.
Player | 2026-27 Salary |
|---|---|
Ausar Thompson | $11.1 million |
Ron Holland | $9 million |
Caris LeVert | $14.8 million |
Isaiah Stewart | $15 million |
Duncan Robinson | $15.9 million |
Cade Cunningham is obviously not going anywhere. Jalen Duren is a restricted free agent. Even though there could be a sign-and-trade scenario, that is highly unlikely. This leaves Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, Caris LeVert, Isaiah Stewart, and Duncan Robinson as their trade chips. Unless it's for a true superstar, it's really hard to see the Pistons trading Thompson.
A trade package consisting of Holland and LeVert will certainly be on the table for the Pistons. Depending on the salary of the incoming player, Stewart and Robinson could also be included. Given Robinson's importance to the team, however, the Pistons may prefer to keep him out of the deal.
Since the Pistons have some cap space this summer, they can take back more than they give out in a trade, so a LeVert+Holland package, with draft capital attached, could net them a quality starter.
Pistons' draft picks
2026 No. 21 Pick
2027 First-Round Pick
2028 First-Round Pick
2029 First-Round Pick
2030 First-Round Pick
2031 First-Round Pick
2032 First-Round Pick
2033 First-Round Pick
14 Second-Round Picks
Fortunately, the Pistons have a ton of draft picks that they can trade. They have full control of all of their first-round picks going forward. At the time of the 2026 NBA Draft, Detroit can trade away four first-round picks and four pick swaps. They will also have 14 second-round picks until 2033 that they can use in a trade.
That is as strong an asset pool as you can realistically have in the NBA. It will make the Pistons a natural landing spot for most stars or quality starters on the trade block.
This type of flexibility is exactly what makes the Pistons' offseason fascinating. They need more offensive creation and shooting. They should look to find a starting shooting guard and a power forward. What type of player GM Trajan Langdon will go after and how many of these assets he will be willing to give up will be the biggest storyline of the Pistons' summer.
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