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[Detroit Pistons]

Four trades I would do if I was Trajan Langdon

With the trade deadline only a few weeks away, there will be plenty of discussion surrounding what the Detroit Pistons should do at the trade deadline. In past years, it has been about acquiring bad contracts with assets attached as the team looked to stock their cupboards with more draft picks.

This year is different.

The Pistons currently sit at #1 in the Eastern Conference at 28-10 with a 3.5 game lead over the #2 New York Knicks. They rank 10th in the league in offensive rating (116.4) and 2nd in the league in defensive rating (109.7). Their net rating of +6.8 ranks fifth. All this to say – this team is GOOD.

So, do the Pistons really need to take a swing at the deadline?

My answer to that question is “yes.”

This team desperately needs players who can shoot the long ball as Detroit is bottom-five in the league in three-point attempts. They have players that can shoot, but can’t defend, and players that can defend, but can’t shoot. It’ll be up to Trajan Langdon to determine how hard he’s going to swing once he steps up to the plate.

I did my best to get creative with these trades and to come up with proposals that aren’t common in the Pistons’ space. There is one common trade that I wanted to touch on, and one at the end that I’m sure will be controversial. All trades were done using the Spotrac trade machine.

Whether Trajan wants to bunt or wants to go for the fences, here are four deals I would do if I was running the Detroit Pistons:

Bunt-Single

In this first trade, Detroit takes advantage of their $14.1M trade exception from the Dennis Schroeder sign-and-trade this past summer. Detroit could absorb the contract of any player making less than $14.1 million without needing to send a player back. In this case, more roster moves would have to occur to open up a roster spot, along with an extra move if the team brings up Daniss Jenkins full-time.

Max Christie has 2.5 years left on his deal, though, it’s most likely 1.5 years given he has a player option of less than $9 million in his final year. Max is having a career-best year with 12.3 PPG while shooting 44.1% from deep on 5.4 attempts per game. Three second rounders seems like a fair deal for a cheap 3-and-D shooting guard.

Ground-Rule Double

Guess who’s back?

Maybe Trajan is still in “acquire assets” mode if he isn’t ready to make a big swing yet. Perhaps there’s a way that he can thread the needle of becoming a better team while also picking up extra assets.

Portland attaches a 2028 Milwaukee first-round pick to Jerami Grant as Detroit does them the favor of getting off Grant’s expensive deal with Tobias Harris’ expiring contract. Jerami has become the second-fiddle behind Deni Avdija for the Trail Blazers and his injury history is a legitimate concern. Jerami would be on the books for 2.5 more years as I don’t see him declining his $36 million player option in 2027-2028.

Despite coming off the bench at times for Portland, Grant can still play. In fact, he’s becoming quite the knockdown shooter. Jerami is averaging 20 PPG while shooting 38.9% from deep on 6.4 attempts per game, and that’s exactly the type of scorer this team could use at Power Forward.

With the possibility of Milwaukee going full-rebuild soon, is that first-round pick enough to entice Detroit to take on Jerami’s deal?

Stand-Up Triple

This is the common trade I had to touch on because this is as far as I would go in terms of what I would give up for Michael Porter Jr. If Brooklyn asks for anything more, I walk.

Let’s talk about MPJ on the court: he’s averaging a career-high in points, rebounds, and assists at 25.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 3.4 APG. He’s shooting 40.4% from deep on an insanely high 9.4 attempts per game. That efficiency at that volume would do absolute wonders for the spacing on this Detroit team. MPJ would instantly become the best three-point shooting forward the team has had in quite a while – maybe ever?

It’s the off-the-court stuff that Trajan will have to determine if MPJ could hamper the gritty culture that’s being built in Detroit. If he believes MPJ would buy in, go get him.

Grand Salami

I know, I know…I KNOW.

Ausar Thompson should make an All-Defensive team this year and he’s solidified himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. There’s no doubt that he’s playing a massive part in Detroit being ranked as the second best defensive team in the NBA. He’s a fan-favorite and rightly so.

Trajan Langdon drafted Trey Murphy III in 2021 when he was the GM of the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s having a career-best year from both a production and efficiency standpoint. He’s averaging 21.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.5 APG while shooting 50.2% from the field, 38.9% from deep on 7.8 attempts per game, and 90.8% from the free throw line.

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An extra part that has to be included when discussing a TMIII trade is his contract. He’s in the first year of his 4-year $112 million deal and is only making $25 million this season. For comparison, Tobias Harris is making $26 million this year. There are no player options and Trey will make $31 million in 2028-2029. Any team that trades for TMIII instantly has their Small Forward of the future for the next 3.5 years.

Ausar Thompson will start his second contract in 2027-2028 when Trey is making $29 million. With that in mind, how would an Ausar extension compare to Trey’s? Is the expectation that Ausar will be worth more than $30 million per year at that point?

I’ve been vocal with my offensive concerns surrounding Ausar, but replacing him with Trey Murphy III in the starting lineup would transform the spacing on the team and present a playstyle we’ve yet to see in the Cade Era. If there’s a top target on Trajan Langdon’s list, it should be Trey Murphy III.

Well, DBB, what say you?

Source: https://www.detroitbadboys.com/pistons-rumors/49004/four-trades-i-would-do-if-i-was-trajan-langdon

 

[Detroit Pistons]

Pistons vs. Suns preview: Surprising Suns visit Detroit for only time this season

If I told you that the Pistons would be 28-10 and the Suns would be 24-16 when they met for the first time this season, you would think that I am crazy. That is the reality of this matchup as two of the NBA’s most pleasant surprises face off for the first time this season.

Obviously, the Suns have Devin Booker, but if you talked to anybody in the league, most would tell you that this was going to be a transition season for the Suns as they moved on from the Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant debacles that ended in them missing the playoffs last season.

For the Pistons, many thought they could build off of what they did last season, but I don’t think even the most optimistic supporters of the team saw them as the 1 seed in the East with a 4-plus game lead as we approach the Trade Deadline in a few weeks.

Both of these teams are examples of the value of depth and playing hard as opposed to having a team full of Superstars, and it should be a fun matchup.

Game Vitals​

Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI
When: Thursday, January 15 at 7 pm EST
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit (for now)
Odds: Pistons (-6.5)

Analysis​

The Pistons have had 4 days to stew on their loss to the Clippers on Saturday, as they blew a double-digit 4th quarter lead with 4 regular rotation players out. Losing that game isn’t all that shocking given how the Clippers have played recently and the fact the Pistons were short-handed, but it was mainly how it was lost that is disappointing. The Pistons were plagued by turnovers in the 4th quarter as they were unable to run any productive offense down the stretch without Cade Cunningham.

Lucky for the Pistons and unlucky for the Suns, Cade Cunningham is no longer on the injury report so he should play. Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, and Isaiah Stewart are all probable, so if one or two of them play the Pistons will be back to mostly full-strength.

The Pistons depth has been tested a lot this season and has always been up for the task, but it will be nice to face a surprisingly good Suns team at mostly full health.

The Suns are led by Devin Booker obviously, but the biggest reason for their above-expectations start to the season has been the play of Dillon Brooks. He was the smaller headline piece of the Kevin Durant trade, but he is averaging career-highs pretty much across the board. He sports averages of 21.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, but most importantly he is doing it on much better efficiency for his standards with a 46/35/84 shooting line. He also brings his usual solid defense and toughness.

The biggest surprise for the Suns has been the emergence of Collin Gillespie. The biggest issue with the Suns during the post-Chris Paul era has been the lack of a true point guard. They have tried Devin Booker there and signed some veterans that could not provide the level of play they needed. Gillespie has been able to stabilize the point guard position a bit and allow Devin Booker to focus on what he does best, which is scoring and being a secondary creator on offense.

I wouldn’t call the Suns as deep as the Pistons, as there are very few teams in the NBA that are, but they do have solid depth with players like Grayson Allen, Jordan Goodwin, and Ryan Dunn. The fact that the Suns were able to pretty much overhaul their roster in one offseason into at least a mid-tier contender in the West is nothing short of impressive. That is even without their top 10 pick, Khaman Maluach, barely playing.

I normally don’t talk about the coaching matchup in games, but this game features two of the leaders in the clubhouse for Coach of the Year with JB Bickerstaff for the Pistons and Jordan Ott for the Suns. It was viewed as a bit of a weird hire since Ott has connections to Michigan State and Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia, but all indications are that they made the right hire. You really don’t think that coaching matters until you see a team like the Pistons turn things around so quick after hiring JB Bickerstaff and then seeing the same thing with the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns were not “bad” last season, but anybody that watched them knew they were a heavily flawed team and you saw that by them not making the playoffs. They are probably still a little flawed in terms of being a top-tier contender, but they definitely have more staying power and that has a lot to due with the job Ott has done this year.

Devin Booker is on the injury report as questionable with an ankle injury, which could be a huge development for the Pistons. Just like the Pistons are with Cade Cunningham, the Suns rely a lot on Devin Booker to make the tough shots and create the tough offense for him, so if he does not play it will make this game much easier for the Pistons. I wouldn’t look past the Suns though, they play hard just like the Pistons do and that can lead to teams staying in the game regardless of who they have playing.

The Pistons have had a few days to rest and get healthy, so hopefully they can come out re-engaged and cruise their way to a win to get them back on track.

Lineups​

Detroit Pistons (28-10): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinison, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Phoenix Suns (24-16): Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale, Mark Williams

Question of the Day​

Should Tobias Harris be a starter upon his return from injury or should the Pistons start Isaiah Stewart?

Source: https://www.detroitbadboys.com/detr...-suns-visit-detroit-for-only-time-this-season

 

[Detroit Pistons]

Pistons vs Suns final score: Detroit gets a scrappy win against Phoenix

The Detroit Pistons had a mini-All Star Break in their schedule as tonight was their first game in five days and only their second in the past eight days. It was enough time to get rest for their injured starting five as Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren would return to join Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, and Ausar Thompson in the starting lineup.

It wasn’t pretty at times on the offensive end, but as they’ve done all season, the Detroit Pistons battled for all 48 minutes. In the end, they were rewarded with their 29th victory this season in a 108-105 win over Phoenix.

Detroit came out looking like that five-day rest served them well as they got off to an 11-3 start. Ivey added a quick eight points off the bench, but a 13-3 Phoenix run to end the first quarter had Detroit down 32-23.

The Suns were able to extend the lead to 15 early in the second quarter, and JB Bickerstaff had to call two timeouts to fire up the team as you could hear his anger through the broadcast’s microphone. It took about an hour and a half to get through the first half as their were plenty of reviews for flagrant or technical fouls.

Cade was playing sloppy and seemed like he had some rust to shake off, so JBB was able to find his second quarter spark off the bench from Daniss Jenkins and Ron Holland as they helped lead Detroit to a 17-5 run. They at least had built a little momentum going into the half despite the Suns leading 63-56.

Although he only saw five minutes in the first half with all of them coming in the first quarter, Jaden Ivey continued his impressive shot-making in the third quarter. He was creating open looks in the midrange and managed to knock down three of his five attempted long balls. Duncan Robinson and Tobias Harris both steadied the offense and Detroit was able to bring it to a one-point game by the end of the third quarter.

A Jaden Ivey three-pointer tied the game at 94 early in the fourth and a few possessions later a Tobias Harris midrange fadeaway gave the Pistons the lead. Detroit showed why their defense is their biggest strength as they would go on to hold Phoenix to 15 points in the final frame.

A Cade Cunningham hook in the lane pushed the Detroit lead to four with two minutes left, and Cade would pump fake Dillon Brooks into his sixth personal foul. JB Bickerstaff closed the game with Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson on the court with Cade, Tobias, and Duren and it proved to be the right idea – from 3:09 left in the game, they only let up two Phoenix points before Grayson Allen hit a desperate three-pointer with three seconds left.

It was a team effort on both ends tonight and six players contributed with double-digit points. There were too many missed threes, missed free throws, and turnovers for a team coming off that much rest. Cade struggled shooting 3-for-16 with five turnovers, but he was still able to create for his teammates with 11 assists. He had a lot of good looks, but they just didn’t fall tonight.

Duncan Robinson led the way with 19 points and four threes while Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren each added 16 points. Duren had even more rebounds with 18 and Harris added some quality buckets when the team needed them. Ron Holland was his scrappy self with 11 points and nine rebounds. He needs to hit those free throws, but he held his own out there as he had no problem getting physical with NBA-villain Dillon Brooks.

The Detroit Pistons are now 29-10 and they will take on the 9-32 Indiana Pacers on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena. It’ll be the battle between the top and the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Go Stones.

Source: https://www.detroitbadboys.com/detr...re-detroit-gets-a-scrappy-win-against-phoenix

 

[Detroit Pistons]

Pistons vs. Suns Discussion: Game Time, TV, Odds, and More

The Detroit Pistons used their extended layoff to get healthy — Cade Cunningham, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren, and Isaiah Stewart are all back in the lineup tonight to face the Phoenix Suns in a home matchup at Little Caesars Arena. The Suns aren’t so lucky. They will be without their best player, and best Michigan native who got away, in Devin Booker, who is dealing with swelling in his ankle.

The Suns join the Pistons as one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA this season. Phoenix was thought to be in soft rebuild or reset mode following moves that sent out veterans Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal this offseason. Jalen Green, the big return in the Durant deal, hasn’t even suited up this season for Phoenix. But that hasn’t stopped them from winning 24 games this season, finding themselves solidly in the playoff race, and fielding a quality offense and defense in a stacked Western Conference. The Pistons, meanwhile, find themselves sitting atop the East. With less than a month before the trade deadline its a wonder whether either of these teams will push some chips in to make their position a bit firmer, or even take a step up the contender ladder.

Game Vitals​

When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -7.5

Projected Lineups​

Detroit Pistons (28-10)

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinison, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Phoenix Suns (24-16)

Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen (boo), Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale, Mark Williams

Source: https://www.detroitbadboys.com/detr...vs-suns-discussion-game-time-tv-odds-and-more

 

[Detroit Pistons]

Submit your questions for The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast

Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question to the comments section here or on X/Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @blakesilverman.

Join us live on Friday night for the show where we’ll discuss the Pistons’ week of games. What, if anything, should the Pistons do at the trade deadline? Would you be willing to part with Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris or any other rumored trade candidates? Is Jalen Duren a lock for the All-Star game?

Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.

The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.

The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:​

When: Friday January 16 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel

How to submit questions:

• Detroit Bad Boys Website: Comment section of the weekly Pindown episode articles.
• Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message to 45 seconds or less.
• Twitter: @detroitbadboys, @blakesilverman or @therealwesd3
• YouTube: Chat section of The Pindown live recording — Subscribe here

As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.

Source: https://www.detroitbadboys.com/detr...ons-for-the-pindown-a-detroit-pistons-podcast

 

[Detroit Pistons]

Pistons vs Pacers Discussion: Game Time, TV, Odds, and More

If this game has high drama, the Detroit Pistons have likely done something very, very wrong. Detroit, which eked out a win despite nearly the entire roster playing a subpar game against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, looks to rebound tonight against the 10-win Indiana Pacers. Indiana has the worst record in the Eastern Conference and is tied with Washington and New Orleans for the fewest wins in the NBA. And even by their subpar standards in this gap year, they aren’t going to be their best selves this evening at Little Caesars Arena. Indiana will be without Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin, and Aaron Nesmith tonight. Siakam, Nesmith, Nemhard, and McConnell all played last night in Indiana’s win over New Orleans. Siakam and Nesmith are officially getting the night off for rest while Nemhard and McConnell are being held back for injury management. That four-some represented 66 of Indy’s 127 points against the Pellies. Jay Huff scored a career-high 29 points in that game, and I guess he’ll need to be even better tonight.

Speaking of being better, I hope Detroit’s returning veterans are able to deliver a better showing than they were able to against the Suns. Phoenix’s aggressive, handsy defense gave them fits all game, and nobody looked in rhythm. Despite the double-double, I’d wager it was Cade’s worst game of the season. He is just returning from a wrist injury, and will reportedly try a different style of wrap tonight. It’s not just that Cade missed, shots, though he did do that (3-of-16). It is that his decision-making was downright awful. He continually dribbled into the teeth of the defense without a plan, he didn’t clock defenders in passing lanes, he coughed the ball up with little resistance, and he didn’t create many advantages. That was probably the first game this season where it felt like he wasn’t dictating anything on the offensive end. Against Indy’s b-team, I’m hoping Cade is aggressive, is firing early and often. I want him to keep shooting even if the shots aren’t falling early. He’s got to either get more comfortable with whatever condition his wrist is in, or he needs to sit out a few more games until he is truly healthy.

Game Vitals​

When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons -15.5

Projected Lineups​

Detroit Pistons: (29-10)​

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Indiana Pacers: (10-32)​

Quentin Jackson, Ben Sheppard, Johnny Furphy, Jarace Walker, Jay Huff

Source: https://www.detroitbadboys.com/detr...-pacers-discussion-game-time-tv-odds-and-more

 

[Detroit Pistons]

Pistons vs. Pacers final score: Detroit takes care of business in blowout win over Indy

The Detroit Pistons took care of business against an undermanned, overmatched Indiana Pacers, blitzing Indy 121-78. It was the fewest points the Pistons had surrendered since a 116-77 win over the Charlotte Hornets in 2015. It was the 10th time in the 3-point era the Pistons beat a team by at least 40 points. JB Bickerstaff joins Chuck Daly as the only coaches in Pistons history with at least three wins of 40 or more points. Bickerstaff did it three times in 122 games.

There wasn’t much to analyze in this one as the Pacers were down their six most important players, with several guys resting on the second half of a back-to-back. Without the likes of Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell, and Bennedict Mathurin, the Pacers simply couldn’t generate any offense.

A Jalen Duren free throw with 5:07 left in the first quarter put Detroit up 24-2. The Pacers hit a couple shots, and Detroit let its foot off the gas a bit, but the game kinda went like that the whole time. At halftime, it was 59-25. By the midpoint of the third quarter, Cade Cunningham and Duren went to the bench permanently, and there was a lot of garbage time for a lot of reserve players to show their stuff.

The Pacers were held to 35% from the floor and 22% from three. Detroit had a 34-9 advantage in points off of turnovers. It was an ugly game.

The only downside for the Pistons was that it was clear early on the refs had no interest in dragging out the game any more than necessary and swallowed their whistles. Detroit did their typical bulldog, attack-the-basket offense, and it was rarely rewarded with free throws regardless of contact. That meant a lot of empty trips down the floor.

The Pistons were led by a trio of players with 16 points: Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, and Javonte Green, who were all 4-of-6 from three. The only player in a Pistons jersey to play past the 24-minute mark was Ron Holland. The Pacers were led by Jarace Walker, who scored 13 points on 12 shots.

Detroit gets a rest day and then hosts the Boston Celtics back in Detroit for a game with more stakes, and one certain to be much closer.

Source: https://www.detroitbadboys.com/detr...kes-care-of-business-in-blowout-win-over-indy

 

[Detroit Pistons]

3-Man Fastbreak: Quiet and consistent

The Detroit Pistons opened 2026 the same way they closed 2025 — winning in a variety of ways and anchoring everything with elite defense. Injuries over the past few weeks failed to slow their momentum, and now the Pistons are back to full strength ahead of a tough stretch against Boston, Houston, and Denver to close out the month.

1. Threats in the East?​

Opening the floor: who poses the biggest threat to Detroit in the postseason — and can the Pistons capitalize on what many view as a “gap year” in the conference?

Detroit currently holds a 4.5-game lead over Boston, which has cooled off after a scorching December. The Pistons have taken two of three from the Celtics, with all three games decided by single digits. The wild card is Jayson Tatum’s Achilles recovery — whether he could return at all, and whether Boston would even allow it. The contrasting styles of these teams would make for a fascinating playoff series.

Then there’s New York. Detroit dismantled the Knicks in their lone meeting so far, but you’d expect a much sharper response in future matchups. Below them, Toronto — whom the Pistons haven’t yet faced — along with Philadelphia, Orlando, and Cleveland all linger as dangerous middle-tier threats in a tightly packed East.

2. Deadline looming​

With less than a month until the NBA trade deadline, there’s little consensus among fans or media about how — or even if — Trajan Langdon will approach roster changes.

There seem to be two main schools of thought consuming fans’ minds: swing for a bigger name or stand pat. But there’s also a middle ground Langdon could easily land on, similar to last season’s Dennis Schröder acquisition — a move that paid dividends during Detroit’s strong finish despite a first-round exit.

Detroit needs shooting, but they’ll be careful to add someone who won’t disrupt the culture or identity they’ve built. It’s hard to envision them sacrificing young assets for a moderate upgrade, but could a name like Tobias Harris surface in that type of deal? And what kind of draft capital would Langdon be willing to throw into a deal?

3. Duren back​

Jalen Duren returned for the first time since New Year’s Day and immediately made his presence felt, posting 16 points, 18 rebounds, and two blocks — including a momentum-swinging rejection late in the fourth quarter.

After a roaring start to the season, injuries slowed Duren in December, when his averages dipped to 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds, down from November marks of 21.5 and 12.6. Still, it feels far more likely that his early-season production represents the real version of his trajectory rather than a hot stretch.

At just 22 years old, with multiple areas of his game still developing, there’s no clear ceiling on what Duren can become — and that uncertainty will loom large as future contract discussions approach. The Pistons are just happy to have him back at full strength.

Source: https://www.detroitbadboys.com/general/49033/3-man-fastbreak-quiet-and-consistent