2 Negatives and 1 Positive From Detroit Pistons' Offseason Activity

Going into the offseason, the goal was clear for the Detroit Pistons, as they looked to build on their successful season, which fell short at the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Amidst the talk about what the Pistons needed to do this offseason, they were expected to make a lot of noise. But instead of hearing them shout from the rooftops, they’ve sunk to the corner and been in hiding, which, given the nature of what they had to do, is shocking.

So what haven’t they done and what has gone wrong for Detroit this offseason?

No help for Cade Cunningham

The Pistons went into the offseason with a clear objective that reverberated throughout the league, and that was to find a legitimate secondary scorer to ease the pressure on their crown jewel, Cade Cunningham.

With a huge chunk of that offseason now in the books and the NBA Summer League in full swing, Detroit have still not completed their task.

They have made some moves that have papered over some cracks. Isaiah Joe brings much-needed floor spacing after arriving from the Oklahoma City Thunder and addresses a clear need for shooting.

Swapping Tobias Harris, who went to the San Antonio Spurs for John Collins, improves the team's athleticism, but on the other side, it doesn’t give the Pistons the offense it so badly needs that Harris can generate. Sadly, Collins doesn’t really hold that title. Plus, shredding Isaiah Stewart's contract also leaves the frontcourt with less depth and physicality.

None of those moves, however, have changed the much bigger picture. Detroit's top offseason priority was finding another scorer to take the pressure off Cunningham, and it hasn't happened. Until that changes, it's fair to say the Pistons have taken a few steps backwards rather than the step forward many were expecting.

The Jalen Duren saga

This one isn’t on the Pistons front office, but they have been dragged into it.

From the moment the New York Knicks lifted the NBA championship, Detroit made it clear they wanted Jalen Duren back and to build the team around him and Cunningham as that frontcourt and backcourt leader.

Meanwhile, negotiations on an extension for the All-NBA center have become unnecessarily complicated, with Duren asking for somewhere close to a max deal, and while Duren is eligible for it, the Pistons are rightly wary of giving him that figure due to his woeful performance in the playoffs.

What’s made it worse for Duren is that his potential targets seem to have lost interest, which leaves this pointless standoff that is only going one way.

It is now extremely likely that Duren will ink a new deal with the Pistons and look to salvage something from what has been a torrid phase. The question will remain: What Jalen Duren will the Pistons get?

There is some good news from the offseason

It might have been a surprisingly quiet offseason so far for the Pistons, but the addition of Isaiah Joe could be that diamond that they need.

Joe is a good shooter, 42% from three-point land in 71 games for the Thunder last season and 11 points per game; he could make the position, that role his own and give this Detroit side new life.

Because right now, they need some life.

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