Marcus Sasser Turning Heads Ahead of Year 3 With Detroit Pistons

Since joining the Detroit Pistons back in 2023, Marcus Sasser has seen his role fluctuate and diminish constantly. Now that he has his footing in the NBA, the young guard is eager to take on more in 2026.

Over the past two years, Sasser has been among those who have been given the opportunity to fill the void at backup point guard behind Cade Cunningham. While his size is certainly a glaring limitation, he's still managed to show a lot of promise.

Across his first 128 games with the Pistons, Sasser averaged 7.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG, and 2.3 APG while shooting 37.8% from beyond the arc.

With Dennis Schroder departing for the Sacramento Kings in free agency, the Pistons once again are in need of a viable option behind Cunningham. Through the early stages of training camp, Sasser looks to be doing everything he can to secure that spot for himself.

Pistons Marcus Sasse — Sep 29, 2025; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) poses for his official head shot for the 2025-26 season at the Detroit Pistons Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

While speaking at media day, Sasser praised Schroder a lot for being a mentor to him during his brief stint in Detroit. Now, he is looking to put everything he's learned into action.

Following practice on Thursday, Pistons forward Ron Holland was asked about how Sasser has looked through the early stages of camp. He noted there has been a drastic change in the guard's approach to begin the year.

"Sass, he's upped his intensity for sure. Learning to be more vocal and everything," Holland said. "I can tell that is one thing he's definitely been trying to work on...Y'all know Sass. Sass a bucket-getter. Watching him throughout this whole training camp, this whole summer, he's been doing it. I'm really proud of him."

In light of the Pistons' current backcourt situation, Sasser is a key name to watch in the preseason. If he's turning heads to the degree that Holland mentioned, he looks ready to secure himself as Detroit's backup point guard to begin the year.

Offensively, Sasser has had no problems at the NBA level. He's an efficient outside shooter and has shown the ability to create offense for himself and others. If he can continue making strides defensively and growing as a leader, he should secure a bigger role in J.B. Bickerstaff's rotation.

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