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Did Detroit Pistons Ace the 2025 NBA Offseason?

How did the Detroit Pistons grade out?
Oct 2, 2023; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon speaks during Media Day at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Oct 2, 2023; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon speaks during Media Day at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

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At this stage of the 2025 NBA offseason, the Detroit Pistons are most likely holding still until they see the current roster in action.

As expected, the Pistons didn’t make any blockbuster moves. Trajan Langdon has made it pretty clear that the team isn’t going to rush their timeline by investing important assets to spend big on a notable star to put alongside Cade Cunningham.

Instead, the Pistons took a similar approach to last season. After all, it worked. The Pistons went from a 14-68 bottom-feeder to a 44-38 playoff contender.

When Bleacher Report recently graded the Pistons’ offseason performance, there wasn’t a suggestion that Detroit had aced their roster-building. With a “C” grade, they landed an average score. However, nothing negative could really be said.

Caris LeVer
Apr 15, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Caleb Houstan (2) guards Atlanta Hawks guard Caris LeVert (3) in the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

“Caris LeVert will be a perfectly solid signing. He can do some secondary playmaking next to Cade Cunningham while also taking on a larger scoring role for the second unit,” BR wrote about Detroit’s first signing of free agency.

“Duncan Robinson is still a premium shooter on a team-friendly deal,” BR added regarding the other big addition. “Maybe $16.8 million is a little rich for 2025-26, but only $2 million of a possible $31 million is guaranteed on the next two years of Robinson's deal.”

Duncan Robinso
Apr 20, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson (55) looks to pass beside Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

It’s safe to say the Pistons’ offseason didn’t go according to plan. Tim Hardaway Jr, Malik Beasley, and Dennis Schroder were all hitting the market. There was a high level of interest in bringing back at least two out of the three. It seemed Hardaway was bound to be the odd man out, and he packed up to join the Denver Nuggets.

While Schroder expressed interest in returning, he landed a better gig with the Sacramento Kings. Schroder will get an opportunity to start next season, while getting paid plenty for the next few seasons. Malik Beasley was in discussions on a multi-year deal with the Pistons, but a gambling investigation put his career on pause this summer.

The Pistons made a quick pivot to Robinson and LeVert. In a way, they are confident that the combination could fill the voids that the Pistons’ few parting free agents have left.

It might not have been a standout offseason, but sometimes under-the-radar is exactly what a team needs to stay grounded.


Latest on Detroit Pistons’ Free Agency

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Detroit Pistons Make Official Trade Announcement

Caris LeVert Officially Joining Detroit Pistons

Pistons’ Paul Reed Decision Receives Questionable Grade


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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