The Toronto Raptors released their pre-season schedule earlier today, which included an exhibition finale against the Detroit Pistons in the Motor City
Over the last several weeks, the basketball universe has been enthralled with LeBron James’ will-he, won’t-he decision regarding his final NBA team, a debate which centered primarily around the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers. Ultimately, the Sixers won out in the LeBron sweepstakes, which means the NBA can proceed with making its schedule, a process that was reportedly held up by James’ lengthy decision-making process.
Although the Detroit Pistons have not yet announced their pre-season schedule, one of their Eastern Conference foes did, and it revealed at least one of the exhibition games that the Motown squad will partake in before beginning the regular season.
Earlier today, the Toronto Raptors announced their five-game pre-season schedule, which includes a final matchup against the Pistons that is slated for Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 pm at Little Caesars Arena. Given the timing of that contest, the Raptors game is likely to serve as the Pistons’ pre-season finale (at home to boot) with the regular season starting shortly thereafter.
Bouncing back to the 2025-26 campaign, the Pistons played four pre-season games (as opposed to Toronto’s five-game slate this year) with a pre-season finale coming on Oct. 16 as well. During that stretch, the Pistons produced a .500 record with wins at the very beginning and very end of their pre-season.
Now, the Pistons are yet to formally announce their pre-season itinerary for themselves, but don’t be surprised to see a similar release from the Detroit organization over the next couple weeks as the NBA buttons up their official seven-month schedule.
So far, the Pistons have taken part in the Summer League, which began as a four-game stanza that ultimately had one more exhibition tacked on as the Consolation Game to close out the Las Vegas tournament. Although Detroit went just 1-4 in that timeframe, rookie Ebuka Okorie acquitted himself well as an explosive, self-creating scorer who can get to the rim relatively easily for a 19-year old experiencing his first taste of professional basketball.
Apart from Okorie, the Pistons had a good look at Chaz Lanier, who posted multiple games with at least a 50% shooting percentage from three-point range. Lanier, who is entering his second season out of Tennessee, has clearly developed a cleaner, quicker release over the past several months, but Detroit now has a crowded locker room full of perimeter shooters after bringing in John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris this offseason. Lanier will only have to compete against Joe, Harris and possibly Prince for playing time, but he put together a strong performance in Las Vegas over the past several weeks.
At this point, most of the Pistons’ offseason work has already been accounted for, but the team is still working through a tenuous contract discussion with All-Star center Jalen Duren, so the team hopes that negotiation is wrapped up well before the pre-season begins.
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