The Pistons have been one of the most surprising teams of the 2024/25 season. After finishing last season with the worst record in franchise history (14-68), the Pistons are currently 21-21, on pace to nearly triple that abysmal 14-win total, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press .
Detroit also has plenty of financial flexibility ahead of the February 6 deadline, as the Pistons are the only team operating with cap room ($14MM). They also have the $8MM room exception at their disposal to potentially make multiple deals.
Their strong play over the past few weeks reportedly has the front office thinking about making in-season upgrades rather than serving as a salary dumping ground, though a recent report indicated that a major roster shakeup was unlikely.
While Detroit could pursue a number of different trade opportunities over the next two-plus weeks, Sankofa cautions that the Pistons ultimately might decide to be judicious with their flexibility, giving the team more time to evaluate the roster entering the offseason.
Here’s more from Detroit:
- Saturday’s four-point loss to Phoenix highlighted the Pistons’ need for a secondary ball-handler and play-maker to complement former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham , according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic . Jaden Ivey had served in that role, but he might miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a broken fibula in his left leg. “It’s just got to be ball movement,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game. “We keep talking about the diversity in our offense and just doing the next right thing. That’s one of the things, again, we’re continuing to work on. We don’t want to be a one-dimensional, ball-dominant team or dribble-dominant team.” Cunningham finished the game with 11 assists, half of the team’s total, but no other Piston had more than two, Patterson notes.
- Cunningham’s teammates believe he should be an All-Star for the first time in ’24/25, per Sankofa of The Detroit Free Press . “It’s an honor to play with him as a young, up-and-coming superstar in this league and I think he’s starting to get the recognition and the clout that he deserves,” Tobias Harris said. “Extremely hard worker, extremely humble human being and an amazing teammate and leader for this whole group. … He’s playing at an extremely high level leading this group, leading this team and coming to play night after night. And not for nothing. He’s a dynamic offensive player but he’s also a very good defensive player, and he brings it defensively for our group as well. He’s been spectacular for us all season long.”
- In case you missed it, Tim Hardaway Jr. is embracing his role as a veteran leader for the younger Pistons.