Prior to their meeting with the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the Detroit Pistons were 5-0 in Game 7s at home. They had won Game 7 at home in the first round, taking out the Orlando Magic after going down 3-1 in the series. Cleveland had also won a Game 7 in the first round but that was in their own building. The Pistons were a 60-win team in the regular season and had just won Game 6 on the road, like they did against Orlando, to get to this decisive contest.
Detroit found out just how much work is still left to be done with this roster after a 125-94 drubbing. The Cavaliers could’ve won by even more had they not missed 16 free throws. Donovan Mitchell only scored 26 points and James Harden had his usual Game 7 struggles, going 2-for-10 from the floor and 0-for-6 from 3-point range. However, the Cavaliers got big nights from Evan Mobley (21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists), Jarrett Allen (23 points, seven rebounds) and Sam Merrill (23 points, 5-for-8 from 3-point range) while the Pistons wilted around Cade Cunningham. Cunningham himself wasn’t particularly impressive, going 5-for-16 from the floor and missing all seven of his 3-point attempts to finish with 13 points.
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Cunningham’s struggles in Game 7 shouldn’t take away from his brilliant campaign. He averaged 23.9 points and 9.9 assists for a 60-win team which captured the No. 1 seed in the East ahead of other contenders like the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. Cunningham wasn’t shabby in the playoffs either, logging 28.1 points and 7.5 assists per game. The problem was his supporting cast.
The Pistons didn’t make major moves at the trade deadline, opting for continuity. They did land Kevin Huerter in an attempt to provide some spacing but Huerter wasn’t available for Games 6 and 7 after re-aggravating his injury in Game 5. Tobias Harris, who had 30 points in Game 7 against Orlando, finished with five points in Game 7 against Cleveland. Daniss Jenkins was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points, seven of which came at the free-throw line.
So where does Detroit go from here after improving by 30 wins from 2023-24 to 2024-25 and another 16 wins from 2024-25 to 2025-26?
The Pistons are likely to be in the market for a star. Fortunately, this summer could present plenty of targets for Detroit.
Detroit Pistons NBA trade predictions at Kalshi
- Pistons to be Giannis Antetokounmpo’s next team: 2 cents per share
- Pistons to be Kawhi Leonard’s next team: 19 cents per share
- Pistons to be Kevin Durant’s next team: 11 cents per share
Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to be on the way out in Milwaukee. The Pistons aren’t necessarily considered frontrunners for the Greek Freak, but they do have the assets to make an intriguing pitch to the Bucks. Detroit has some promising young players in Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland. They have all their draft picks intact, including the 21st selection in the upcoming draft. They could also include Duren, though that would have to be done with a sign-and-trade move. However, the Pistons aren’t really on the radar to be Antetokounmpo’s next team at just two cents per share at Kalshi. There’s a good reason for that.
The Bucks are unlikely to trade within the division and if they do, they’ll command a huge price. Two recent trades have gone down between division rivals and the price point might be something Detroit’s management balks at. Mikal Bridges went from the Nets to the Knicks in a deal which involved five first-round picks. Rudy Gobert went from the Jazz to the Timberwolves in a deal for four first-round picks, though Walker Kessler was taken with a first-round pick before being sent to Utah to essentially make it five picks. That doesn’t include swapped picks.
Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant are also possibilities for the Pistons. Detroit is trading at 19 cents per share to be Leonard’s next team on Kalshi, and the two-time Finals MVP could be looking for a change of scenery after his decision to join the Clippers hasn’t resulted in anything meaningful. Leonard is still one of the best two-way players in the game and his ability to create offense should take pressure off Cunningham. Durant going to the Pistons is trading at 11 cents per share but he’d essentially be swapping a young core in Houston for a young core in Detroit. Would he leave after just one season?
More 3-point shooting needed
One thing is for sure; the Pistons definitely need to change their approach offensively. The box score against the Cavs was bad enough but every offensive possession was a struggle. Unless Cunningham was doing something in isolation, there wasn’t going to be a good shot attempt. The ball wasn’t moving, and Cleveland could throw multiple defenders at Cunningham without worrying about a perimeter kickout or a well-timed cut.
The Pistons shot 35.9% from deep in the playoffs and 35.6% from deep in the regular season. They were around the same clip as the Wizards, Pacers and Bulls, so that tells you enough. However, while the efficiency isn’t terrible if you get enough volume, the Pistons weren’t even doing that. They ranked 31st in 3-pointers attempted per game and in the playoffs, they were 14th among the 16 teams. In the current NBA landscape, you cannot win meaningful games while consistently avoiding the 3-point shot.
Both Leonard and Durant would contribute to solving this problem, which makes them more likely to be targets for the Pistons. Both players would also likely require Detroit to give up less than a potential Antetokounmpo deal, which could drain the Pistons of their entire draft war chest.
