With the NBA Draft tipping off on Tuesday and rumors percolating regarding what Trajan Langdon’s next move will be for the Detroit Pistons, I’m here to offer 21 thoughts — draft- and overall offseason-focused — leading us up to the 21st pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
21. Are the Pistons even picking in this spot?
It looks like, sounds like, feels like the Pistons have their eyes on some guys in this range (Maleek Thomas, Ebuka Okorie, Allen Graves) and some guys rated higher (Cameron Carr, Yaxel Lendeborg),
which has kept me from fully buying that they’ll pick at No. 21
20. I like Yax and Graves most, I think.
The idea of acquiring a cheap stretch four in the draft rather than paying the premium for a good in the league now seems like a possible angle for Detroit. If they’re bringing back Tobias Harris (I think they eventually do), having an heir-apparent for the soon-to-be 34-year-old makes a lot of sense. Yax is my favorite. Please, Trajan, get Yax. Please.
19. Cameron Carr is veryyyyy interesting.
I really love watching Carr play. He’s got a very smooth offensive game, and his jumper looks like it’ll translate nicely to the NBA. I don’t love that he’s a late bloomer, but, oddly, my two favorite prospects for the Pistons (Carr + Yax) both fit the bill in that regard.
18. Okorie is cool, but he’s also an odd fit.
It’s always tough to gauge a high-usage player on a bad college team. Okorie did a lot this season for Stanford and really went from off the NBA radar to firmly a first-rounder in his lone season with the Cardinal. I dunno how well he fits with Cade and Daniss Jenkins, but he checks all the boxes as a bucket-getter who can create offense.
17. Graves is my mystery box.
For the football folks, Graves feels like maligned Texas Tech QB Brennan Sorsby. Both had a chance to go from middling situations to big-time programs via the transfer portal and (likely) would have thrived in those bigger roles that would have boosted their draft stock.
Graves is probably picked between 15 and 25 on Tuesday. If he went to LSU or Kentucky and kicked ass, I wonder if this could be like getting a 2027 lottery talent a year early?
16. I don’t hate the Tyler Herro rumors.
By the time this goes live, the Giannis soap opera may be done. Tyler Herro may be in Detroit with the Pistons. Or not. Either way, I think if the price is right, Herro goes a long way toward curing the secondary shooting/scoring concerns. It does, in my mind, increase the importance of a stretch four who can defend… and those guys do not grow on trees.
15. Can they just get more shooting on the margins in free agency?
Two of the greatest 3-point seasons in team history have been trades/signings Langdon has made on the margins — Malik Beasley two years ago and Duncan Robinson last year. I have no idea if he can make the big-time moves yet, but he has shown us he can identify the under-the-radar shooters from a pro personnel standpoint.
14. One sleeper-ish guy I like Wednesday: Richie Saunders.
OR they could do this. Saunders is the other guy for BYU with Dybantsa and would be a nice bench add. I know they just drafted Chaz Lanier, but I’d take another stab at finding your AJ Green/Sam Merrill with Saunders, who is older at 24 and coming off a knee injury, but shoots an effortless 3-ball and battles on the boards.
13. I don’t think Isaiah Stewart is here next season.
Love the guy. I’ve stan’d Stew since COVID. He’s the most superfluous piece they have from a roster/salary perspective, and you need to trade good players to get good players. It would hurt to deal him away, but it might be a necessary evil to push this team forward.
12. How high would Ron Holland rank in this draft?
Holland was a raw piece of clay with big upside, coming off a very meh season with G League Ignite when he was drafted in 2024. If you did a re-draft today, I think he’s probably the 11th or 12th best player from that draft. He’s probably around the 20th best prospect in this draft. Both he and the 21st pick have been floated in these trade rumors, and that feels like his value with the flaws he’s shown + two years left on his rookie deal.
11. I’m expecting Isaac Bonga to be the new high-energy wing off the bench.
The 2018 second-rounder has been quietly mentioned in connection with the Pistons in recent years. His buyout with Partizan in the Adriatic League probably prevented him from coming, but he’s free to sign in the NBA now. I’d imagine he’ll be better now than he was 8 years ago after winning Best Defensive Player of EuroBasket 2025 and EuroBasket Finals MVP, averaging 10 points and 5 rebounds last season. He has consistently shot ~40% from three in Europe. Woo replacement, maybe? ̄\_(ツ)_/ ̄
10. Cam Boozer is my favorite prospect.
I think AJ Dybantsa might be the next Paul George, but all Boozer needs to be a do-everything star is to improve his shot off the dribble. I’ve learned not to put too much weight into size or athleticism when the skills are elite.
He’s got the best tools in this draft.
9. I’m still dreaming on Trey Murphy.
It sounds like the ex-Pistons Execs in New Orleans are driving a hard bargain for the big shooter, but I still love that fit here so much. I get the concern with paying an exorbitant, Mikal Bridges-esque price for a guy who has never made an All-Star team, but I think Murphy could take a big leap with Cade Cunningham setting the table and Jalen Duren occupying the paint. It would be perfect, which is why it will clearly never happen.
8. The Pistons wouldn’t have beaten the Knicks if they made the ECF.
This is old news, but I still see people talk about it. Stop. Get some help. They weren’t stopping the Team of Destiny from finishing off a dominant championship run.
7. Manifesting Jalen Duren getting $30 million per year.
He’s getting paid, just not what he could have made. I hope it falls closer to $30 million than $40 million. I would be lying if I hadn’t thought deeply about the idea that Duren may not be the right guy at center — not because he isn’t good; he is very good — but because we haven’t seen a team win a title without a center-adjacent guy who hits 3s consistently in over a decade.
6. He’s no All-Star, but if Memphis drafts Cam Boozer, I’d call about Santi Aldama.
Speaking of bigs who can shoot. If they don’t go this route tonight, this could be the optimal stretch five option. Aldama is more of a power forward, but at 7-feet he offers legit shooting and is a nice table setter, topping seven assists three times this season. I think you can play him with Duren or in lineups without him, it’d be a great add.
5. I think Giannis ends up in Boston.
I know the Miami option is the best for the Pistons, but I can’t see the Bucks taking the mystery platter from Miami over Jaylen Brown. I also think teams are going to try to be middling to good over horrible because of the lottery reform. If Brown works, the Bucks will be good. If not, they won’t be terrible and, in turn, will have decent lottery odds.
4. I don’t know if Jaylen Brown, The Guy, is going to work so well outside Boston.
I think Brown was awesome this year, and he carried the Celtics to a surprising season. I also am not sure, outside the confines of the Celtics eco-system, if he would have the same success as your No. 1 guy. That team was built so perfectly for the system, and Brown worked so well within it. I’ll be curious to see how that plays out if he does get dealt.
3. I probably wouldn’t trade any picks past 2029, either.
Langdon said in his press conference last week that he didn’t think teams, including his, would deal picks after 2029. That’s because it marks the first year of maybe another new lottery reform, as the current 3-2-1 model is only being tested for the next three years.
It begs the question: how much will teams get for players in deals, and will we see more players traded since teams can’t mortgage five years of picks + swaps when the future is a complete unknown?
2. Maybe moving up and acquiring a cheap, rookie piece is the fallback?
If the Giannis trade goes down with just Milwaukee and one of Miami or Boston, I think the Pistons’ focus shifts to moving up into the top 10 of the draft. It makes sense as they prep to extend Ausar Thompson and re-sign Duren. If you can package pieces to move up in the draft for, surprise, someone like Yax, you could solve some issues without adding a big salary, thus, leaving room for other moves via trades or free agency.
1. Free agency will be secondary for Detroit this summer.
The Pistons will make some tangible moves this summer, but I don’t see any of them coming in free agency outside of re-signing Jalen Duren. I’ve seen them mentioned with Austin Reaves… I don’t see that happening. Fans have clamored for CJ McCollum; he’s headed back to Atlanta. Rui Hachimura? Sure, I guess?
There will be marginal moves to accentuate the remaining holes — maybe a cheap stretch four if they go guard in draft, or vice versa if they go big — but I’m pretty confident trades and the draft are where they’ll be focused.
