Biggest Detroit Pistons Priorities Before Camp (And How To Address Them)

If we take out Jalen Duren, there are things that the Pistons need to zero in on, but at the end of the day, it's still all about Detroit's man in the middle.

May 13, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff talks to center Jalen Duren (0) in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers during game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In an offseason where the Detroit Pistons got plenty done but still left their main priorities unchecked, the upcoming training camp still presents questions.

Obviously, the big precedent was bagging a new deal with Jalen Duren, which hasn’t happened, and it doesn’t look to be approaching the finish line any time soon, but for the Pistons, it’s a case of focusing on what they currently have at their disposal.

What was their big weakness last season became a major strength: The Pistons have players who can run the floor and play a faster tempo of basketball, but that comes with risks, too.

Helping Cade Cunningham by any means

Detroit added three-point threats this season, which it sorely needed last year. However, several players now compete for overlapping minutes. Isaiah Joe gives the team a needed high-volume shooting option, while Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter and Taurean Prince add more competition on the perimeter.

Cunningham remains the offensive engine, but Detroit needs possessions where he isn't required to create everything.

Joe's shooting and movement, along with John Collins' scoring and finishing, are intended to create more space and secondary avenues of attack. The goal isn't simply "more shooters"; it's creating lineups where defenses can't load up on Cunningham like they did when he came back from injury toward the end of last season and didn’t have the necessary help in the playoffs.

The coaching staff has legitimate decisions at both guard and forward. The key questions include how much Ausar Thompson plays alongside other non-shooters, which of the veteran perimeter players gets squeezed, and how the center minutes are divided between Duren and Paul Reed, who would be positioned as the backup center if Duren returns.

Building a team around Cunningham (and Duren, if he re-signs)

The Pistons' challenge isn't really identifying their core anymore. Cunningham is the offensive crown jewel, Duren is an All-NBA interior piece, and Thompson is an elite defensive wing. 

The challenge is building a five-man ecosystem around them that doesn't let their weaknesses compound.

The most important strategy during training camp will likely be spacing around Cunningham and Duren without sacrificing Detroit's defensive identity. If Joe and Robinson can force defenses to respect the perimeter while Collins provides another offensive threat, Cunningham should have considerably less responsibility.

However, no matter how you frame it, this centers on Duren and what his mindset will be and whether he will sign a new deal with the Pistons.

Until he decides, everything is up in the air.