Examining Pistons' Salary Cap, Decisions for 2026 NBA Free Agency after Cavs Loss
A year ago, the Detroit Pistons took a positive step by reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2019, though they exited in the first round. This year, Detroit went a step further, clinching a postseason spot by mid-March and finishing the regular season as arguably the hottest team in the NBA.
It wasn't a flawless season for the Pistons. Fifth-year star Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung in March and missed multiple weeks toward the end of the year. Even without Cunningham, though, Detroit was able to field a strong roster with key contributors like Tobias Harris, Daniss Jenkins, and Ausar Thompson.
Detroit managed to earn the East's No. 1 seed. However, things began to unravel early in the postseason, as the Pistons struggled to put away the Orlando Magic before having more difficulty against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who eliminated them in Game 7.
In other words, Year 2 of the J.B. Bickerstaff era didn't quite go as planned.
Now that the Pistons' postseason has ended, it's time for Bickerstaff and team president Trajan Langdon to start preparing for another run. Let's dive into Detroit's cap situation, top pending contract decisions and potential free-agent targets for the upcoming offseason.
2026 Salary Cap
1 of 3
The Pistons are in a relatively good financial position following their breakthrough 2025-26 campaign. While Langdon will have a few tough contract decisions to make,11 players, including Cunningham, Thompson, and Duncan Robinson, are scheduled to be under contract.
The Pistons are also projected to be $72.5 million below the first luxury tax apron and $85.5 million below the second apron. If Landon wants to make a splash move in free agency or via a trade, he should have the financial flexibility to do so.
Detroit is expected to exercise the first-round pick swap it got from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the three-team Mike Conley trade. The Pistons also own their first-round selections over the next several years. While the Pistons' focus may remain on drafting and player development, they can be players on the trade market.
Bleacher Report's Dan Favale listed Michael Porter Jr., Trey Murphy III, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as sensible offseason trade targets for Detroit.
Top Contract Decisions
2 of 3
While the Pistons aren't facing a mass exodus of talent, they'll need to do some work to maintain their core roster. Locking up Jenkins and Jalen Duren should be at the top of the to-do list.
Duren is set to be a restricted free agent after declining Detroit's offers before the October deadline.
"There was virtually no talk of Duren and Detroit getting a deal done heading into the league's rookie extension deadline Oct. 20, with sources saying at the time that the two sides were pretty far apart in price," ESPN's Tim Bontemps wrote in November.
With the 22-year-old playing well down the stretch, Duren is probably looking at a max offer this summer.
Jenkins' contract, meanwhile, contains a club option that Detroit is likely to exercise. The 24-year-old played extremely well this season and had his two-way contract converted into a standard deal in February.
Harris, Kevin Huerter, and Javonte Green are slated to be unrestricted free agents. Harris is a well-respected locker room leader, but he'll turn 34 in July and may be too pricey for the Pistons at this stage of his career.
Free Agents to Pursue
3 of 3
Keeping Duren—either with a max extension or by matching any and all offers—will probably be the Pistons' top free-agent priority. However, they could afford to add another strong scoring threat alongside Cunningham, especially if Harris departs.
The unknown is just how much cap space Detroit will have after giving Duren a new deal. A star like Miami Head guard Norman Powell might be an ideal target but probably isn't realistic.
Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley recently named New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet as a realistic Pistons target, and Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum as an "optimistic" target:
"If Detroit is only operating with the taxpayer's midlevel exception, it won't have an easy time filling that second-scorer's role. But maybe that's just enough to entice McCollum, given his relative lack of team success to this point."
Role players like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dennis Schröder will likely be on Detroit's radar as well.
*Cap and contract information via Spotrac.
