Pistons Predicted to Open Title Window With Blockbuster Trade For Bucks' Champion

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zachary Rainey | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 5:34 PM ET

The Detroit Pistons are coming off one of their most successful seasons in over a decade. They achieved a single-season turnaround of 30 wins, following a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference the previous season. Their 44-38 record was good enough to earn them the No. 6 seed in the NBA Playoffs.

Unfortunately, the Pistons didn't advance out of the first round after getting matched up with a buzzsaw New York Knicks team. While they fell 4-2, it marked the first time since 2008 the Pistons had won a playoff game. Going into next season, they'll likely look to make significant moves to prevent this from being a one-year wonder.

Pistons predicted to open title window with blockbuster trade

The Pistons have a solid core to work with going forward, and not just their players. While Cade Cunningham was nominated for the Most Improved Player award, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was nominated for Coach of the Year, and general manager Trajan Langdon for Executive of the Year.

In a recent mock trade by ESPN, they have the Pistons trading for superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the hypothetical trade, they would give up Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart and first-round picks in 2027, 2029 and 2031.

lol ESPN pic.twitter.com/I1NfbSLKDV
— Bucks Film Room (@BucksFilmRoom) June 18, 2025

"The Pistons, making their first playoff appearance in six years, looked evenly matched with New York in a highly competitive first round," wrote Chris Herring. "Adding a player of Antetokounmpo's ilk would speed up the timeline but also give All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham and the Pistons a real shot in the East sooner rather than later.

"Milwaukee might hesitate in making a deal within its division and might ultimately want to swing bigger than this. But Ivey, still just 23 and coming off a season that was far more efficient than his first two, has shown real, palpable flashes. Stewart is 24, and is a rugged rebounder capable of bigger minutes than what he currently receives alongside fellow youngster Jalen Duren."

Langdon has done a great job at setting up the Pistons for success and could just be a move or two away from putting the Pistons over the top.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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