The Detroit Pistons could be in the market for a decorated, versatile power forward in this year’s NBA Draft
Just over one week ago, the Detroit Pistons were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round by the Cleveland Cavaliers, but their successors suffered a similar fate last night in an emphatic four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks. Since the Pistons are now in the early stages of the offseason, President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon is locked in to make the proper roster tweaks necessary to take Detroit further in the postseason next year.
One of the first items on Langdon’s agenda should be the 2026 NBA Draft since it’s less than one month away. At the Trade Deadline, Langdon worked out a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves to exchange Jaden Ivey for Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric (later waived), but an underrated component to that trade is the first round pick swap that the Pistons received from the T-Wolves.
Without that pick swap, Detroit would have had to wait until nearly the end of the first round, but the Pistons moved up to No. 21 in a draft that has a lot of depth, especially in the mid-to-late first round range. Entering the draft, the Pistons have several needs that they could address, such as three-point shooting and additional ball handling skills, and it’s possible Detroit could find both of those qualities in the same player. But from a larger perspective, Tobias Harris is currently an unrestricted free agent, so the Pistons need to identify their long-term answer at the power forward spot sooner rather than later.
On top of that reality, Duncan Robinson, even for all of his lethal perimeter ability, can become a defensive liability at times during the postseason. The Pistons worked to shield Robinson well enough during the regular season, but the Magic and Cavs repeatedly ran screens to switch onto Robinson during the playoffs in an effort to exploit that defensive mismatch.
As for players who fit Detroit’s needs, the middle of the first round is filled with strong shooters and talented fours who can stretch the floor and help give both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren some more room to operate. According to NBA insider Brett Siegel in his latest mock draft, the Pistons are interested in Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg due to his ability to score at multiple levels in a versatile role on the wing or in the post, and he comes with a winning pedigree fresh off a National Championship victory with the Wolverines.
Now, Siegel has Lendeborg coming off the board at the No. 12 position to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the report mentions that the Pistons are interested in both the prospect himself and the possibility of trading their No. 21 selection for the chance to snag the versatile national champ.
Last season, Lendeborg was a consensus First Team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year on a dominant Michigan squad that throttled opponent after opponent during March Madness. Lendeborg was hampered in the title game with an apparent knee injury, but the elite power forward turned in a gutsy effort to help Michigan return to the pinnacle of college basketball.
Lendeborg has the ability to guard multiple positions on defense, so he’d fit right in with the Pistons’ propensity to switch and rotate in support on defense. In addition to that playing time requirement in Motown, Lendeborg is more than comfortable handling the rock and making plays for his teammates, which would be a tantalizing asset to have at the four spot for a Pistons unit that was in need of secondary creation during the postseason.
For more information on the latest Detroit Pistons team or player news, follow @EricJRutter on X for continued basketball coverage. Also be sure to look up Roundtable - Michigan Men Media on Facebook for continued social media coverage of all the sporting teams in the Mitten.
