The Detroit Pistons are eyeing one of the top three-point shooters in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft
As the Detroit Pistons enter the offseason, President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon has the unique challenge of retooling a team that accomplished a lot during the regular season yet faltered in the second round of the playoffs. After winning 60 games in the regular season, the Pistons locked up the top seed in the East relatively early, but Detroit ran into postseason difficulty once the Cleveland Cavs (and Orlando Magic) packed the paint, which led to a glaring need for another high-level scorer outside Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren.
If Langdon aims to address that need during the offseason, next month’s NBA Draft is a great place to look for potential perimeter threats who can harness the gravity and floor spacing necessary to unclog the paint for Cunningham and Duren. If the Pistons had another consistent three-point threat outside of Duncan Robinson, they might still be playing basketball right now, so it could be prudent for Langdon to pursue a talented deep threat in what’s considered a deep draft class.
Along those lines, the Pistons have consistently been tied to Baylor’s Cameron Carr during pre-draft discussions, and Detroit reportedly hosted the sharp-shooter for a workout this week, which would add some credence to the assertion that he may wind up in the Motor City.
Last season, Carr started in all 34 games that he appeared in during his first season at Baylor after struggling to secure consistent playing time in two seasons at Tennessee. But playing last year in a new environment, Carr flourished to the tune of 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for Baylor with a 37.4% mark from three-point range to his credit. On the other end of the floor, Carr chipped in with active hands that produced 1.3 blocks and nearly 1 steal per game as a 6-5 guard with a 7-foot wingspan, so the Pistons could utilize those traits next season as part of their hard-nosed, aggressive defensive approach.
So far, Carr has consistently landed in the No. 10-20 range in recent mock drafts, so the Pistons might need a bit of draft-day luck for the prolific shooter to fall all the way down to No. 21, but it’s also feasible that Detroit could move up in the draft in order to guarantee the opportunity to select an explosive, prolific scorer of Carr’s caliber. In terms of the backcourt position that Carr could potentially compete for in Motown, the Pistons do have Kevin Huerter entering unrestricted free agency this summer, so the Detroit’s wing could look considerably different when next season arrives.
So far, Langdon has expressed a desire to bring Jalen Duren back when asked about his impending status as a restricted free agent (once he accepts a qualifying offer from the Pistons), and the front office exec also indicated that Detroit would like to keep 15-year vet Tobias Harris in a Pistons uniform as well. Given those roster moves could coincide with a new contract for Ausar Thompson, Langdon will have a busy offseason, especially when the NBA Draft and free agency are thrown into the mix.
Using those tools, Langdon will have another opportunity to solidify the Pistons as not only a contender but the team to gun for in the Eastern Conference with a couple savvy roster moves. Many suggested that the Pistons were just one dangerous perimeter shooter away from competing for a title this season, so it will be up to Langdon to bring that individual into the Motor City over the next several months.
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