We are answering every question you could possibly have about the Pistons’ salary, draft pick and other team-building situations here.
The Detroit Pistons haven’t won a playoff game since 2008, and it is hard to gauge what rebuild they are officially at, but suffice it to say, the players on Detroit’s roster the past decade have been here for a good time, not a long time. Roster churn is inevitable, and when you’re endlessly cycling through executives and head coaches even more so.
The Trajan Langdon era started in 2024 , and with it, new hopes, dreams, possibilities , and likely a much different roster. Langdon is a math major and meticulous executive, and as he builds the Pistons in his image, we know Detroit fans want as much information as possible about what team-building options are available.
With that in mind, we’re partnering with SalarySwish to use their data to attempt to answer every single question you could possibly have about the Pistons’ financial situation (and other team-building considerations).
Below is a dynamic, living, breathing document accounting for the franchise’s position regarding its salary commitments, draft picks coming and going, potential cap space, and more, all updated as the situation changes. So bookmark this page and check back after that next draft pick, big trade, or free agency acquisition.
Detroit Pistons Roster, Salaries, Draft Picks, Cap Space and More
Here is a table with all of the Detroit Pistons’ salary information, courtesy of our friends at SalarySwish:
Now, because that is a lot of data, let’s dive into a few key pieces of context, what it all means, and try to answer any questions it may call up for you.
FAQ
What does a post-rookie max extension for Cade Cunningham look like?
It’s important to remember that post-rookie max extensions are not nearly as large as veteran max extensions, though, let’s be real, they are gigantic deals. Post-rookie max extensions are 25% of the salary cap, and the salary cap keeps going up, up, up.
If Cade Cunningham signed a post-rookie max extension, it would be for five years at $224 million. That would see him make the following annual salary over the next five years:
- $38,775,000
- $41,877,000
- $44,979,000
- $48,081,000
- $51,183,000
Now, let’s answer some of your most frequently asked questions about the Detroit Pistons’ salary cap and draft pick situations moving forward.
How much salary cap space can the Detroit Pistons have this offseason?
The short answer: A lot.
At the beginning of the offseason, the longer answer is the Detroit Pistons are expected to generate up to $70 million in cap room this summer, but that would only be by renouncing a lot of players. The good news is, they are likely going to renounce almost all of those players. A realistic cap room expectation to begin the offseason was $64 million, which is … a lot. They would achieve this by renouncing James Wiseman, Malachi Flynn, Jared Rhoden, and Taj Gibson while renouncing club options on Evan Fournier, Troy Brown Jr., Chimezie Metu, and Stanley Umude.
They have already made a couple trades to eat into that space. They traded for the $2.5 million deal of Wendell Moore in order to move up in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. They also got three second-round picks by swapping Quentin Grimes’ $4 million salary for Tim Hardaway Jr.’s $16 million deal.
Currently, the Pistons have roughly $51 million in cap space remaining.
Simone Fontecchio will likely receive a long-term contract in the offseason, but they will time signing his new deal so that they can maximize their cap space usage while his $5.2 million qualifying offer counts against the cap and then give him a big raise.
Once all of Detroit’s offseason changes are on the books via signings and trades, they will almost certainly sign Cade Cunningham to a maximum post-rookie contract extension over five years. But that deal will not begin until next offseason.
How much will the Detroit Pistons pay in luxury taxes this year?
As of right now, the Detroit Pistons are slated to pay $0 in luxury taxes due to their roster cap hit, dead cap hit, and likely incentives equaling $87,406,662.
Considering the Detroit Pistons are entering a new era under Trajan Langdon, who is already preaching patience, development, and meticulous team-building, it is unlikely the Pistons will enter the luxury tax anytime soon.
Can the Detroit Pistons trade any draft picks?
The Detroit Pistons can currently trade their own first-round picks in the:
- 2029 NBA Draft and 2030 NBA Draft
The Detroit Pistons cannot trade their first-round pick until 2029 because of an outstanding obligation dating back to the draft-day trade for Isaiah Stewart in 2020. They owe a a future first-round pick to the New York Knicks that has lottery protections. Because that pick might or might not convey, and the Stepien Rule prevents teams from trading consecutive first-round picks, the Pistons are limited in their ability to trade a first-rounder going forward.
The pick protections are as follows: Top-13 protected in 2024, Top-11 protected in 2026, Top-9 protected in 2027. If the first-round pick has not been conveyed by 2027, Detroit will send New York its 2027 second-round pick, and the trade will be complete. Because it will definitely convey by 2027, the first available year to trade a first-round pick is 2029.
Additionally, the Detroit Pistons can currently trade the following second-round draft picks:
- 2024 Knicks pick (53rd overall)
- 2025 Raptors pick
- 2027 pick (less favorable of Brooklyn or Dallas pick)
- 2027 Pistons pick
- 2028 Knicks pick
- 2028 pick from Dallas
- 2028 pick from Dallas
- 2029 Bucks pick
- 2029 Knicks pick
- 2029 Pistons pick
- 2030 Timberwolves pick
- 2030 Pistons pick
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