With the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs set to join the rest of the NBA for the offseason period in just a few games, the Detroit Pistons have a three-week edge in terms of evaluating what they need to accomplish this season– and it’s a long list. 

The 2026 NBA Draft is approaching with free agency opening up shortly after that, June is a big month in the basketball world since it lays the foundation for all the movement and squad-switching that takes place in July. Now, the Pistons are in a fairly attractive position as an organization with the No. 21 pick in the draft in addition to considerable roster flexibility with some money to spend, but what should Detroit’s President of Basketball Operations, Trajan Langdon, focus on during the summer?

Since the Pistons failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension with Duren just before his fourth pro season began on Oct. 20, Detroit now has the task of re-signing the first-time All-Star against the rest of the restricted free agency market. Of course, the Pistons need to extend a qualifying offer to JD first, but at that point he would officially become an RFA, which means he’d have the opportunity to seek out a new contract elsewhere. 

If Duren is able to reach a deal with another team, the Pistons have the right to match any contract he signs. Truthfully, the Pistons also have the ability to offer Duren substantially more than any other team could this offseason, so the chips are firmly in Detroit’s pile at the moment. Langdon mentioned that the Pistons are looking forward to working with Duren’s representation, and it sounds like he’s going to remain in the Motor City for years to come. 

Apart from Duren, the Pistons have a pair of veterans who are back on the market this offseason in Tobias Harris and Kevin Huerter. Last season, Harris was a reliable cornerstone of Detroit’s starting lineup at the four, but the reality is that he’s 35-years old and has played in the NBA for 15 years now, so the team needs to look at the long-term direction of their power forward position at some point. However, Langdon mentioned that he’d like Harris to return next season, but potentially he’ll have a new power forward to mentor as an understudy when that happens. 

As for Huerter, the offseason plan for the Pistons’ Trade Deadline acquisition is much less clear. Huerter worked his way into being a key rotational piece for Detroit towards the end of the regular season, but a left adductor strain sidelined Red Velvet for much of the playoffs. Now that Huerter is entering unrestricted free agency, Langdon can flesh out a potential price-point for the wing and evaluate if that’s worth the cost. 

Based on how head coach J.B. Bickerstaff ran the rotation in Detroit last season, any rookie would have a difficult time cracking a Pistons lineup that is already complete with role players up and down the roster. So, a lottery-range pick would make an immediate impact in Motown (potentially), but the squad’s overall depth makes the draft less of a concern than it will be for most teams. The Pistons have some optionality at No. 21 with what should be a collection of talented shooters or power forwards available at that spot, so Langdon will have more than a couple options to sort through on June 23. 

The Pistons have held workouts for a series of guard such as Ebuka Okorie, Isaiah Evans and Cameron Carr, so it's clear that Detroit is looking for perimeter shooters who can help space the floor with their pick. While the Pistons have invited a few big men to workouts, they're most likely of the second round pick or UDFA variety, so look for Detroit to prioritize three-point talent with the No. 21 pick. 

Finally, the league’s trade market is an exciting time where teams can reshape their roster in a hurry, but Langdon hasn’t shown a major propensity to flip his current assets in exchange for a player that another organization’s trying to move on from. Langdon did dish Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls last season, but that’s more of a complementary trade to adjust the balance of a squad as opposed to the type of swing that moves a team from a playoff hopeful to a NBA Finals contender. 

However, both Lauri Markkanen and Trey Murphy continue to pop up as valuable trade pieces who could add perimeter shooting to the Pistons at a position they desperately need to fill for the future, so there are a couple deals that would make sense on paper. 

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