Detroit Pistons' Biggest Needs Ahead of 2026 NBA Draft
Cade Cunningham was really good in the 2026 playoffs, ranking 2nd in points per game (28.1) and 4th in assists (7.5). His usage rate was also the 4th-highest, only behind Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Jalen Brunson.
It's safe to say the Detroit Pistons need to find Cunningham some help.
The Pistons' second-leading scorer in the playoffs, Tobias Harris, is going to be a free agent. Ausar Thompson wasn't much of an offensive threat (8.2 points, 3.1 assists, 14.3 percent from three). Jalen Duren struggled ahead of restricted free agency.
Detroit needs offensive creation behind Cunningham, an area the 21st overall pick should be focused on.
2025-26 Record: 60-22
Draft Pick: 21
Re-Sign Jalen Duren
The playoffs were not kind to Jalen Duren, who saw his scoring average dip from 19.5 to 10.2 and may have seen his name trending for all the wrong reasons during most games.
It's worth remembering that he's still just 22 years old. His rim running makes him a near-ideal fit as a big man next to Cade Cunningham. He has some under-appreciated playmaking potential that could help him make multiple All-Star teams.
Young players are entitled to some learning experiences early in their career. The Pistons would be wise to view his postseason as one.
A Bona Fide No. 2
Having said that, the playoffs did expose Duren's current lack of ability to put up big points. That, and the roster being light on playmaking, made the responsibility for Cunningham much too great.
The Pistons could really use a second star on offense capable of taking some scoring and playmaking pressure away from their stellar point guard. They can get to an amount of cap space that would make it doable (whether through free agency or by absorbing a big salary into that space via a trade).
Shooting
This applies to the entire team, but it has as much to do with Cunningham as with anyone else.
He gets a bit of a pass because of how demanding his role is, but Cunningham has now been well below average in both effective field-goal percentage and true shooting percentage in each of his five seasons.
He's made All-NBA teams in the last two years, but he won't get to the next tier (real MVP contention) without becoming the consistent shooter many expected him to be coming out of college.
