The Detroit Pistons? Playoff-bound? Well, believe it or not, that seems to be the case.
If nothing else, the Pistons are in the thick of it with half a season left. Impressive, considering they lost 28 straight just a year ago.
But Trajan Langdon is the head of basketball operations, J.B. Bickerstaff the coach, and things are different this time around. So there are no thoughts of tanking for a lottery pick.
Instead, it seems, the Pistons are trying to get back to the postseason, riding the play of remarkable guard Cade Cunningham and some newly added veterans. So their approach at the NBA trade deadline could be directed toward that end — the playoffs.
“Detroit, which hasn’t made the playoffs since 2019 and hasn’t won a playoff game since 2008, is 7th in the East, just a half-game back of the Atlanta Hawks for 6th,” wrote Shams Charania of ESPN. “Adding to the Pistons’ good fortune, they also have the most cap space available in the NBA right now — $14 million — and are expected to be significant players to take in salary along with an asset or utilize the space for an upgrade ahead of the deadline.”
In other words, Detroit could look to add some veterans while at the same time facilitating other trades and picking up some assets along the way. Basically, the Pistons are in a great spot, winning games and keeping tons of roster flexibility.
For a team that lost 28 straight last year and won just 14 games overall, it’s clearly a whole new day.
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I like a lot of their recent draft picks, and their current young nucleus. Also some good choices of complimentary vets sprinkled in. Nice job Trajan Langdon!