Do Detroit Pistons already have their “Josh Hart” in Ausar Thompson?
We breakdown Ausar Thompson’s playoffs vs. Knicks, and what role he can fulfill for Pistons. Watch, listen and subscribe to “The Pistons Pulse” podcast.
The Detroit Pistons‘ arrow is pointing up at the perfect time. And the trade rumors are already beginning to swirl.
The top of the Eastern Conference has fallen into disarray in the 2025 NBA playoffs, putting the Pistons in position to climb the ranks next season.
The Pistons, the No. 6 seed in 2024-25 after a 44-38 record, saw their most successful season since 2008. Their future is brighter than it has ever been since the Goin’ to Work era two decades ago.
Invaluable playoff experience was gained this spring. The core, led by All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham, an amalgamation of young players and solid veterans — combined with draft asset flexibility to use in trades for the first time since 2020 — puts the Pistons in an enviable position, especially when compared to competitors.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, who both won 60-plus games in the regular season, were stunned in the second round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers and Knicks, respectively. Boston’s immediate future is in jeopardy with first-team All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum’s Achilles rupture and an untenable roughly $500 million payroll when combining salaries and luxury tax penalties.
The Milwaukee Bucks, another longtime East contender, lost All-Star point guard Damian Lillard to an Achilles rupture in the first round, and the league’s biggest summer story will be trade rumors surrounding All-NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Pistons have four key veteran free agents, but maintain financial flexibility and have all young players under team control for years to come with the tool of restricted free agency.
Here’s a look at what you need to know about the Pistons’ 2025 offseason, entering Year 2 of a promising regime led by president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon.
Pistons trade rumors and offseason overview for 2025
The big question this summer facing Langdon and his front office, along with coach J.B. Bickerstaff: What is the Pistons’ next step in roster building?
The team can stay relatively status quo, as columnist Shawn Windsor recently argued they should, and avoid the temptation to use one or more of Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren and Ron Holland as trade chips in a bigger move to get a proven All-Star caliber player alongside Cunningham.
The Pistons could opt to surprise and use their flexibility to become a major player and take advantage of the downtrodden East. Langdon and vice presidents Dennis Lindsey and Michael Blackstone could at least engage with the Celtics on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, the Bucks with Antetokounmpo and the Utah Jazz on Lauri Markkanen, among others.
Langdon said “we are exploring all avenues” on May 7 during his end-of-season news conference, but also spoke on the value of maintaining continuity and the need to see more from young players.
“I don’t (know who the second-leading scorer will be next season), and I’m excited to see who that will be,” Langdon said.
Pistons cap space 2025
There are two different paths the Pistons can take to roster building this offseason.
- In the unlikely scenario they operate as an under-the-cap team, the Pistons will have about $17 million in cap space after Cunningham made third-team All-NBA, increasing his 2025-26 salary from $38.6 million to $46.4 million. However, to use the space, the Pistons would have to renounce the rights to pending unrestricted free agents with Bird Rights in Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schröder. They could use the money to re-sign Malik Beasley or take in excess salary from another team — think Celtics 3-point shooting forward Sam Hauser — and then would have access to the $8.8 million room mid-level exception.
- If the Pistons choose the more likely path to operate as an over-the-cap team (keeping the cap holds of (Hardaway and Schröder), they can use Bird Rights exceptions to re-sign the two while exceeding the salary cap. They would also have access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1 million) and bi-annual exception ($5.1 million). They could use the mid-level exception to bring back Beasley, who they don’t have Bird Rights on after he signed a one-year, $6 million deal in 2024 free agency.
NBA salary cap 2025-26 numbers
The NBA’s projected 2025-26 salary cap numbers are as follows:
- Salary cap: $154.6 million, a 10% increase from the $140.6 million of 2024-25.
- Luxury tax threshold: $187.9 million, up from $170.8 million.
- First apron: $195.9 million, up from $178.1 million.
- Second apron: $207.8 million, up from $188.9 million.
The Pistons will look to stay below the luxury tax number of $187.9 million. Going above that number would incur tax penalties for ownership and make them ineligible to receive the pool of money from taxpaying teams.
The Brooklyn Nets are the only team with significant cap space this summer.
Pistons free agents 2025
Here’s a look at the Pistons’ pending unrestricted free agents this summer. Age as of Oct. 1, 2025:
- Malik Beasley, 28 (non-Bird Rights)
- Tim Hardaway Jr., 33 (Bird Rights)
- Dennis Schröder, 32 (Early Bird Rights)
- Paul Reed, 26
- Lindy Waters III, 28
Free Press Pistons beat writer Omari Sankofa II ranked them in order of most likely to return to the team.
Pistons offseason needs
Our expert, Sankofa, who enters his sixth season covering the Pistons for the Free Press, breaks down the Pistons’ three greatest needs:
- Size: “The Pistons’ frontcourt depth was already on the smaller side before Isaiah Stewart missed most of the postseason with right knee inflammation. … They could use a big man who handles traditional responsibilities — rebounding, rim protection and screening — while also providing enough size to neutralize any advantages on the other end.”
- Power forward depth: “(Tobias) Harris had a strong all-around season as the team’s starting four, and lifted his two-way play to another level in the playoffs. He needs support, though. Simone Fontecchio was phased out of the rotation after a rough regular season and Bobi Klintman, in his first season, wasn’t quite ready for primetime.”
- Shooting: “Every team needs shooting, right? Including the Pistons, who knocked down a respectable 36.2% of their 3-point attempts last season, ranking 17th overall. There’s still room for improvement, especially if one or both of Beasley or Hardaway Jr. aren’t retained in free agency this summer.”
Pistons future draft picks
The Pistons control all of their future first-round picks for the first time since the 2020 draft. They can trade up to four future firsts — the NBA’s Stepien Rule prohibits teams from trading future firsts in consecutive years — and three first-round swaps.
The Pistons also have a surplus of second-round picks to grease future deals.
Data from Real GM’s database:
Outgoing Pistons draft picks
- 2025 first-round pick to Minnesota (No. 17 overall).
- 2025 second-rounder to Milwaukee (No. 47 overall).
- 2026 second-rounder to Orlando or New York.
- 2028 second-rounder to Philadelphia (protected Nos. 31-55).
Incoming draft picks to Pistons
- 2025 second-rounder from Toronto (No. 37 overall).
- 2027 second-rounder from Brooklyn or Dallas (less favorable).
- 2027 second-rounder from Milwaukee.
- 2028 second-rounder from New York.
- 2028 second-rounder from Charlotte and LA Clippers (less favorable).
- 2028 second-rounder from Miami (if Dallas conveys a first-round pick to Charlotte in 2027).
- 2029 second-rounder from Milwaukee.
- 2029 second-rounder from New York.
- 2030 second-rounder from Minnesota.
- 2031 second-rounder from Dallas.
- 2031 second-rounder from Golden State or Minnesota (less favorable).
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren are rookie extension eligible
Debating whether Jalen Duren has earned a contract extension with Pistons
Omari and Bryce break down Jalen Duren’s 2024-25 season and his potential contract extension. Listen and subscribe to “The Pistons Pulse” podcast.
The deadline to sign fourth-year players to a rookie contract extension is Oct. 21.
- Jaden Ivey
- Jalen Duren
The Pistons for two straight offseasons have signed a player to a rookie extension.
Langdon, just a month into his tenure last summer, signed Cunningham to a rookie max extension. A year before that, former general manager Troy Weaver signed Isaiah Stewart to a four-year deal.
However, this year’s decisions are more murky. Ivey, 23, is coming off a season-ending broken fibula in his lower left leg suffered Jan. 1. He could be viewed as the Pistons’ big offseason addition since he missed the final four months. Ivey was the No. 5 overall pick in 2022.
Duren, 21, took steps forward as the progressed including in the playoffs. He was selected No. 13 overall in 2022.
If no deal is reached, both would be restricted free agents in the 2026 offseason, allowing the Pistons to control the market for each player.
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus projects Duren to sign a four-year, $112 million rookie extension ($28 million average annual salary) before the deadline, but no deal for Ivey.
[ MUST WATCH: What we learned about the Pistons playoff run. Follow all offseason long on the “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live/on demand on YouTube. ]
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