To say that the 2026 offseason has been filled with change for the Detroit Pistons would be an understatement. After the Motown squad won 60 games in the regular season last year based largely on their continuity and identity, the Pistons ripped apart their supporting cast over the summer in order to give Cade Cunningham a few more laser-like shooters to utilize on the perimeter. 

To that effect, the Pistons brought in John Collins as a younger stretch four with above-the-rim capability to replace Tobias Harris at power forward, and that’s likely to be the move with the most immediate impact for Detroit. Harris had started every game he was healthy enough for over the last two years, but the Pistons opted to turn the page by bringing in their long-term power forward from the Los Angeles Clippers via sign-and-trade. 

Apart from Collins’ addition, the Pistons traded for Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris during the offseason, three players who all exceeded the 40% three-point shooting mark last year. Since Detroit ranked just No. 17 in terms of perimeter efficiency during the regular season, this trio should give the Pistons more options from long-range, which was a clear source of difficulty for the Motor City group during the playoffs. 

In terms of outgoing players, Harris brought a lot of leadership to the locker room that will be difficult to replace, but the Pistons still have their core intact in Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren (for the time being) to help mitigate that transition. Losing Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies, though, could have a bigger impact on the team’s chemistry since Beef Stew was the longest tenured Piston of the group. 

Moving to the backcourt, the Pistons made a trade during the 2026 NBA Draft to land former Stanford point guard Ebuka Okorie at No. 17 overall in order to give Detroit a dangerous weapon who can find (and connect on) their own shot. Okorie led the ACC in scoring last season as a freshman, and the expectation is that he will compete with Daniss Jenkins for the backup point guard role to start the campaign. 

Based on all those roster moves, the Pistons will have an adjustment period as they build chemistry, but they’re far from the only squad to shake it up over the past several months. The Philadelphia 76ers added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to their already star-studded unit, while the Miami Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Toronto Raptors are expected to land Kawhi Leonard as well. Sprinkle in the return of Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers, and the Eastern Conference has a much more competitive landscape than it did 12 months ago. 

Last season, the Pistons were able to secure the top seed in the East because they approached every regular season matchup with absolute intensity. Detroit aimed to learn how to win consistently, night in and night out, before reaching the postseason, but there are several other dangerous contenders for the No. 1 position this time around. Of course, the Pistons will need to stay healthy to even have a shot at retaining the top seed, so a small amount of regression could be in store for Detroit after a relatively healthy run last season. 

The Pistons had an incredible start to the 2025-26 campaign and were able to seize control of the top seed in the East early in the season, but Detroit will have a very difficult first four games right off the bat for the upcoming campaign. The East has restocked itself over the offseason with the power balance shifting away from the Western Conference, so the Pistons are expected to have a tougher road back to the No. 1 seed during the 2026-27 season.