Pistons, Langdon Look Ahead to Busy Offseason

After a tough first round playoff exit to the New York Knicks, the Pistons brass looks ahead to what will likely be a busy offseason. Despite no first round pick, much less a lottery pick this year, which the franchise has become so accustomed to, the Pistons are in a good position to to surround their young core with some proven playoff performers. Did Trajan Langdon and company foresee this past season playing out the way it did? I’m guessing they would answer that with an ” absolutely.”

Either way, the mix of three budding All- Star caliber players, and a handful of tough, proven veterans, the Pistons far exceeded anybody’s expectations for this year. What’s even more important is how they did it. I thought when they drafted him, Jaden Ivey would be the compliment Cade Cunningham needed. It seemed to be all coming together until an injury ended Ivey’s season prematurely.

Pistons, Langdon Look Ahead to Busy Offseason

Out with the Old, In with the New

It can be frustrating when teams with high picks year in and year out take the best available player instead of the best fit for their team. We have witnessed it countless times in the last decade or so. A team drafts three shooting guards with top-5 picks three years in a row, only for it to blow up in their face and two of those picks end up flourishing elsewhere. Detroit had a strange run of draft picks under Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver that left many scratching their heads. But what Pistons faithful dare question the great Joe Dumars? He was given a pass one too many times. But, that nostalgia eventually ran out.

Ironically enough, Dumars and Weaver are in New Orleans now, where Trajan Langdon vacated from. Langdon was hired last offseason, but this will be his first chance to see what he can bring to Detroit while everyone is waiting to see him work his magic for next year’s team.

Three Contributors Set for Free Agency

Back to the present. Langdon has proven one thing during his time in NBA front offices: he can spot talent. While Zion Williamson fell into his lap in New Orleans, they drafted extremely well and completed a handful of solid trades. That is where the Pistons brass will have to look this offseason, along with evaluating their unrestricted free agents and those free agents available. They could surely use a scoring big man, or another 3-and-D guy.

In close playoff losses to the Knicks, Detroit’s offseason acquisitions came up a bit short under the bright lights. Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. played an important role in this successful season, but when it mattered most, those two saw their three-point and field goal percentages drop in those six games, something the Pistons could not afford in close contests.

They both far exceeded expectations, which is why it may be hard to say goodbye to either of them. But when it matters the most, you have to step up, much like Dennis Schröder did. While his overall stat line might have shown a small decrease, his shooting percentages went up, and his defense tightened up when they needed it. That’s what you bring in a veteran presence for.

With Hardaway’s cap number a little over $16 million next year and Beasley coming off of a breakout season where he averaged 16 points on 43% shooting, the Pistons may move in a different direction. But as I said earlier, not many coveted free agents are knocking on the door to come to Detroit. Schröder looked like he belonged. Hardaway Jr., who averaged 11 points per game on 40% shooting in the regular season, is no stranger to lackluster playoff performances. Beasley looked a touch overwhelmed in the moment.

What Comes Next?

Every team that exits the playoffs early has to make tough decisions every offseason. A foul call here, a loose ball there, and the Pistons could have easily been in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, feeling content with the current roster. It’s a far more comfortable situation this offseason compared to previous years toiling near the bottom of the league.

This is where the small details matter. Three of their four losses in the Knicks series were one possession games. Now, it comes down to every little detail. Late game stops, hitting clutch shots, causing turnovers. Can they find those pieces elsewhere? Or do they try to retain as much of this team as possible and run it back next year?

Cap Space and Potential Targets

Now, we can get to the fun part. What path do the Pistons take? The 2024-25 season saw the Pistons with the lowest salary cap allocations among the entire NBA, roughly $141 million. They will have the second most projected cap space to start the 2025-26 season as it stands right now. One must consider this information for one reason. The new age of NBA player—outside of the superstars—aren’t all that worried about where they play, as long as they are getting paid what they are worth.  If that means they have to sweeten the offer to an impact free agent, say Naz Reid or even Mo Wagner, I think they would. Langdon has not been shy when it comes to free agent signings and major trades.

Could we see a major trade by the Pistons this offseason? It’s very possible. There have been rumblings since last season that Devin Booker was interested in coming home to play for the Pistons. I say that’s a long shot; everything would have to work perfectly. The Pistons would have to move a couple key pieces, and more importantly, I don’t see where Booker fits on this team. Is Giannis Antetokounmpo going to trade the gray skies of Milwaukee for the cold brisk winters on the Detroit River? Highly unlikely. I think people close to him, along with the media, have finally convinced him a major market is necessary at this stage of his career. Although, crazier things have happened.