The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
As the Detroit Pistons continue to solidify themselves as the Eastern Conference’s best team, they’ve played their way into optionality.
With the NBA trade deadline looming, should the front office focus on improving along the margins, or make a trade that changes the complexion of the roster in an attempt to go all in?
The question is simple, but the answer for Detroit is complex.
According to league sources, the Pistons’ stance of being opportunistic as opposed to aggressive remains unchanged with the trade deadline on Thursday. It appears unlikely the Pistons will make any major moves before the deadline.
Rather than making calls to gauge the value of its own players, Detroit is doing its due diligence in answering incoming queries. The Pistons are young and exceeding expectations for the second straight season, so there’s a desire to find the ceiling of this group without feeling obligated to shake up the core.
Though Detroit can use a $14.3 million traded player exception ahead of the deadline, league sources indicate the team is in no rush to do so. The Pistons have until July 7 to use it.
Apart from the TPE, veteran Tobias Harris — whom coach J.B. Bickerstaff has routinely referred to as his “safety blanket” — is on an expiring $26.6 million contract. Harris is averaging his fewest points per game (13.6) since his second season, but making more than everyone on the roster except Cade Cunningham. League sources suggest Detroit has not engaged in discussions involving Harris.
His value to this group extends beyond his numbers, and to some degree, the reluctance to shop the 33-year-old stems from the example he sets in the locker room with the team’s young talent.
Jaden Ivey is another Detroit player who’s garnered attention in the rumor mill. He’s in a contract year after not reaching an agreement on a rookie-scale extension last offseason. The fourth-year guard broke his left fibula on New Year’s Day last year and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in October.
Ivey seemingly lacks the explosion and athleticism he once relied on before the broken leg and is averaging career lows in points (8.2), assists (1.6), rebounds (2.2) and minutes played (16.8). If a deal involving Ivey presents itself, the Pistons could explore it.
But considering Ivey’s dip in production and the injuries the 23-year-old has suffered, the list of suitors is likely slim. Ivey will be a restricted free agent this summer with a qualifying offer worth $13.4 million. Detroit has the financial flexibility to welcome him back at any price in that range.
According to league sources, the Pistons had interest in Keon Ellis before he was subsequently traded from Sacramento to Cleveland. The Kings never quite found the minutes for Ellis to carve out a consistent role, though he’s a career 41.6 percent 3-point shooter and in the 97th percentile in steal percentage for wings, per Cleaning the Glass.
Ellis hasn’t yet shown he’s a consistent scoring threat off the bench, but he’s a 3-and-D guard who would have fit within Detroit’s defensive scheme and could blossom with the Cavaliers.
Daniss Jenkins, who has more scoring upside than Ellis but with less defensive chops, only has a few games of eligibility left on his two-way contract. After going undrafted last season, the 24-year-old has emerged as a reliable backup point guard and has established himself as the second unit’s floor general.
When asked if the plan is for Jenkins to be available past his 50-game limit after Detroit’s win over the Golden State Warriors on Friday, Bickerstaff said there was “no doubt about that.” The Pistons must either waive or trade a player on the roster before converting Jenkins’ deal to a standard contract.
If Detroit chooses to waive a player to create a roster spot for Jenkins, Isaac Jones could be a likely candidate. The Pistons claimed the second-year big man off waivers on Nov. 6 after the Kings released him. At 25 years old, he’s on a one-year, $1.9 million deal and would become a restricted free agent this coming offseason.
Jones has played just one game with Detroit since being acquired, but he has spent essentially all of his time with the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
Although second-year wing Bobi Klintman and rookie Chaz Lanier have also spent the majority of the season with the Cruise, Detroit has more invested in them. The Pistons traded for Klintman on draft night in 2024 in a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves and drafted Lanier in the second round of 2025.
Jenkins’ emergence could also make Marcus Sasser expendable moving forward. Sasser is under contract through 2026-27 and would become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2028.
Another situation to monitor is guard Caris LeVert’s status. The veteran inked a two-year, $28.9 million deal with Detroit last offseason and has missed the Pistons’ last seven games with an illness. LeVert is averaging career lows in points (7.9), minutes (19.7) and rebounds (1.8). Per Databllr, the Pistons have a plus-9.2 net rating with LeVert off the court.
Factoring in his challenges to stay healthy — resulting in 17 games missed — and that Detroit is playing better with him off the floor, LeVert could be a candidate to consider if the Pistons look to make a minor deal. LeVert’s $14.2 million salary could be of use if the front office decides to cut ties with the former Michigan Wolverine.
Given Detroit’s position atop the East, the possibility of seeking to just improve along the margins is realistic, especially considering the financial flexibility the team is looking to maintain this offseason.
First-time All-Star Jalen Duren is in line for a lucrative payday after he and Detroit failed to come to an agreement on a rookie-scale extension ahead of the regular season.
Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart also become extension-eligible this summer. The Pistons could have an offer come in that makes too much sense and decide to capitalize on it.
But as things stand, Detroit seems poised to continue practicing patience in the market with the deadline looming.
