Detroit Pistons Analyst Sounds Alarms Over Lack of Offseason Moves

It's been another quiet offseason for the Detroit Pistons when we all thought they would be making noise.

May 17, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) in the second half during game seven of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If there was one team in the NBA that was expected to do a lot of business in this offseason, it was the Detroit Pistons.

But instead of doing business, the Pistons head into September’s training camp with a mixture of frustration and numerous questions directed at them.

After a solid regular season, where they were the No.1 team in the Eastern Conference, a few adjustments were needed this summer. A secondary scorer to Cade Cunningham, plus a new contract for Jalen Duren, were top of the list, but neither has been done, leading to dissatisfaction from many, led by Pistons analyst Chris Castellan.

“Right now, I look at where the Pistons are at, and I say that last year was closer to being a fluke than it was the actual direction this organization is headed in,” Castellani said on his BIGPLAY Detroit show.

“Not to say that they're going to revert back to what they were before Langdon. This isn’t going to be the Weaver era all over again, but what have you done? You've done nothing.”

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? YOU'VE DONE NOTHING!"@Castellani2014 addresses the frustration behind another quiet Pistons offseason and a front office still lacking direction. #DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/i9FrgfeTid

— BIGPLAY Detroit (@BIGPLAYDetroit) July 29, 2026

Déjà vu, anyone?

The Pistons made a bold decision last summer to stand pat after a promising season, opting against any major roster changes. Sound familiar?

With Duren's contract issues still haunting the Pistons, they find themselves in a strikingly similar position. Regardless of what happens with Duren, the long-awaited vision of pairing Cunningham with a secondary creator and true five-out spacing still feels out of reach.

Signing Isaiah Joe is a solid addition, and Ebuka Okorie will bring an interesting long-term upside. They will be able to space the floor better for the upcoming season, but neither move properly addresses Detroit's biggest weaknesses: proven scoring options, apart from Cunningham.

But without a doubt, the main objective for the Pistons is to finalize Duren's extension before turning their attention to Ausar Thompson. However, if Duren's contract talks continue to drag into August or September, it's possible that Thompson's deal gets done first.

Thompson is now entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract and will earn a base salary of $11.1 million for this upcoming season.

Then again, we've seen this story before. After a similarly underwhelming offseason last year, Duren broke through as an All-Star, and the Pistons surged to 60 wins, plus they got one of the best scoring seasons out of Cunningham before his injury setback towards the playoffs.

Can Thompson - or someone else - spark another unexpected leap?