The Detroit Pistons have made it clear that they’re exploring all possibilities ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft
On the eve of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons are still keeping their plans relatively close to the vest after Trajan Langdon’s press conference last week. But on that event, it is possible to parse out that the Pistons are not looking at trading down in the draft or trading out of the draft for that matter.
What the Pistons are looking to do is add to their young, established core. Last season, All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham ran the show and helped feed big man Jalen Duren all season long, but his ability to do so significantly stalled in the playoffs when the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavs packed the paint.
To make that situation more precarious for the Pistons, who are not particularly adept at attacking outside of the paint, Ausar Thompson simply could not offer the secondary scoring necessary to complement Cunningham’s efforts with Duren well off his regular season pace. As a result, Detroit was knocked out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and Langdon helped share his perspective on the organization’s approach to improving this summer.
“I can’t stand here and say we don’t want to get better,” Langdon said. “So, getting better means you’ve gotta win the second round for us to be better. It doesn’t necessarily mean we have to win 64 games. I don’t think we’re trying to do that. If we do, that’d be fantastic, but I think we know we need to be more equipped to compete in the postseason, and I think that’s what we’re looking to do in this. Again, like I already said, adding pieces that help accentuate our three best players, our core three players, and I think that will help us not only in the regular season but in the postseason as well. I think that all goes into it. We feel like we need to get better.”
Reading between the lines, it appears that Langdon recognizes Detroit’s need for an additional perimeter threat, one who can pick up the scoring slack when either one of Cunningham or Duren are having an off night. Among players who could fill that role, the Pistons could be in the right range to target a handful of skilled long-range specialists with the 21st selection overall. Keep in mind, the Pistons do not own a second-rounder this year, so Detroit will likely have to make their hay in the first round exclusively.
So far, the Pistons have already hosted Isaiah Evans, Cameron Carr, Ebuka Okorie and Christian Anderson, so Detroit’s pre-draft workouts would indicate that they’re strongly evaluating the backcourt prospects that could be available at the pivot-point of the first round. All four players either have the ability to self-create or can finish perimeter looks with high catch-and-shoot efficiency, and the Pistons were in dire need of those traits down the stretch in the playoffs.
But in order to take a wide, comprehensive look at all their options, the Pistons have also evaluated Santa Clara forward Allen Graves and Texas wing Dailyn Swain recently, so Detroit has also explored the possibility of selecting their long-term answer at the four with this draft. Tobias Harris is about to hit unrestricted free agency after two years in the Motor City, but Langdon mentioned that he would like for the veteran power forward to return for another go-around. Even with that tidbit hanging in the air, the Pistons need to find Harris’ heir apparent eventually, so don’t be too surprised if Detroit moves in that direction with the No. 21 pick in the draft tomorrow night.
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