The end of the 2026 NBA offseason is in sight for the Detroit Pistons.
Media day is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 28, at their practice facility in Midtown. Training camp practices tip off a day later, and the Pistons will open their four-game preseason slate at home on Oct. 5 against the Phoenix Suns.
Two weeks later, the regular season will begin Oct. 20 with a bizarre 3 p.m. home tip-off against the Boston Celtics
.Here are five storylines to follow in camp as the Pistons prepare to build on a 60-win season and second-round playoff exit.
1. Will Jalen Duren sign an extension before media day?
The clock has almost run out, yet the saga continues. Restricted free agent Jalen Duren has until Oct. 1 to accept his qualifying offer – a one-year contract worth $9.6 million that would allow him to enter unrestricted
free agency in 2027.
The latest offer on the table, according to ESPN, is for five years and $200 million. Duren is eligible for a contract worth up to $287 million, and the threat of taking the qualifying offer is his lone source of leverage driving negotiations.
He potentially could remain unsigned through media day and the first two days of training camp, which would create an awkward scenario for both the Pistons front office, the coaching staff and his teammates, who would have to answer questions about his absence.
The standoff threatens to hang like a gray cloud over a week typically marked by optimism and platitudes. Of course, there’s also an opportunity for Duren to put ink to paper before Monday, secure his future with the organization and put an offseason of nasty headlines firmly in the rearview. How he proceeds will speak volumes about his relationship with the front office and commitment to the franchise beyond next season.
2. Will we see a different Ausar Thompson?
Let’s be clear – the twin doesn’t need to substantially alter his game to live up to the five-year, $155 million extension the team officially announced on Sept. 22. He earned the contract with his play last season, during which he was named All-Defensive first team and was their second-most effective player in the playoffs.
But as Thompson acknowledged in a recent interview with the Free Press, there’s growth ahead for him on the offensive end. He wants to be more aggressive with the ball in his hands, attacking mismatches and collapsing the paint. Outside shooting has been a focus for him since he was drafted in 2023 and remained a priority this offseason.
A more dynamic Thompson would lift the Pistons’ offense, which can sometimes suffer when he’s on the floor. Teams ignore him on the perimeter, knowing he’s more likely to pass the ball than take a shot.
Regardless if it manifests in a 3-point attempt or drive to the rim, Thompson can’t allow teams to ignore him. A new mindset on offense could pay off big.
3. How will John Collins and Isaiah Joe fit in?
The Pistons’ most notable newcomers this offseason will each bring a needed dynamic to their offense. Collins is likely their Tobias Harris replacement at power forward, and Isaiah Joe will be the off-the-bench 3-point sniper they’ve missed since Malik Beasley’s departure after the 2024-25 season.
Collins and Harris are different players, and going from one to the other will be an adjustment. Harris took a lot of midrange jumpers and was a release valve for Cade Cunningham in some ways, capable of getting his own shot and finding teammates. Collins is a much more athletic finisher and prefers to operate in the paint or from the arc, from where he knocked down 40.6% of his 3-pointers last season.
Joe is among the league’s best 3-point shooters and hit 42.3% of his looks last season. For his career, he’s a 40.6% outside shooter. He and Collins will turn one of the team’s biggest weaknesses into a potential strength, with Joe matching Duncan Robinson’s volume and accuracy and Collins capable of providing spacing at the five.
4. What will Paul Reed do with an expanded role?
After outplaying his role as the team’s third center through two regular seasons, Reed forced a reckoning during the playoffs.
He was critical in Game 6 during their 24-point comeback win on the road against the Orlando Magic, chipping in six points, six rebounds (three offensive) and three blocks in just under 11 minutes of action during the second half. As Duren and Isaiah Stewart struggled against the Cavaliers in Round 2, Reed delivered a series of double-digit scoring efforts off the bench.
Now, Stewart is gone and Reed is the primary backup. He has become a core part of the team’s identity with the chaos he brings on defense, where he racks up blocks and steals, and unorthodox knack for scoring and being in the right place at the right time offensively.
Reed, 27 and entering his seventh NBA season, has won games for the Pistons in a small role and now has a chance to establish himself as one of the league’s best bench players at any position.
5. Who’s the odd man out?
The Pistons have 16 players with standard contracts on their roster (15-player limit) following their trade of Caris LeVert to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Taurean Prince and Gary Harris.
Both veterans bring shooting, albeit at slightly different positions. Prince, 32, can play either forward position at 6-foot-6, and Harris is a smaller wing at 6-4. They both battled injuries last season, but Prince played 80 games in 2024-25 and 78 games the season prior. Harris, also 32 and a former Michigan State standout, hasn’t played more than 54 games since 2021-22.
The roster battle could last through training camp and preseason, as the Pistons have until the eve of opening day – Oct. 19 – to trim their roster to 15.
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
For (preseason) openers: Suns
Matchup: Pistons (60-22 in 2025-26) vs. Phoenix (45-37), exhibition opener.
Faceoff: 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
TV/radio: TBD.
Regular-season opener: Vs. Celtics; 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20; NBC.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 5 Pistons training camp storylines start with Jalen Duren dark cloud
