Pistons Might Be Approaching Trade Deadline With Playoff Push In Mind

January 10, 2025

These aren’t the same old Detroit Pistons. Today, they’re an NBA team that deserves some respect.

The Pistons, long a team in transition, are quietly positioning themselves as a legitimate playoff contender this season, surprising the league with their rapid improvement under head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

Remember last season, when they finished a historically bad 14-68 and lost 28 straight? Yeah. Ancient history. They lost to Golden State on Thursday, but overall, the Pistons have bounced back in a big way.

Much of this turnaround can be attributed to the stellar play of Cade Cunningham, who is playing at an All-Star caliber level. His development has been accelerated by the addition of seasoned veterans like Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr., who have provided the team with much-needed perimeter shooting and offensive spacing.

Cunningham, now operating with more space, has been able to showcase his full potential as the primary playmaker, and it’s been elevating the entire roster. The coaching of Bickerstaff undoubtedly counts for a lot, too.

So, what does all of this mean for the trade deadline? Well, hard to say.

Detroit’s front office, under first-year head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, is adjusting its approach as the team finds itself in the playoff mix, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

While initially expected to rent out cap space and facilitate trades for rival teams looking to save money or shed salary, the Pistons are now actively exploring ways to upgrade their roster.

And truth is — with $14 million in cap space and an additional $44 million below the luxury tax — they’re well-positioned to make moves that could bolster their roster both for the current season and beyond.

Detroit’s flexibility in the trade market allows it to take on bad contracts or facilitate larger deals that could bring in key contributors, helping the Pistons continue to build around Cunningham and further solidify their playoff aspirations.

So for Langdon and the Pistons, the focus has shifted from rebuilding to competing — and their newfound competitiveness could shape their trade strategy in the coming months as they aim to make a legitimate push for postseason success.