The Biggest Remaining Question Facing Detroit Pistons This Offseason

This offseason has been a fun one for Detroit basketball.

Every major flaw in Detroit's game last season has been patched. The Pistons needed spacing for aggressive rim runners like Cade Cunningham and Daniss Jenkins, so they went and signed veteran big man and confident three-point shooter John Collins.

They needed efficient perimeter shooting, so they traded for Isaiah Joe and re-signed Kevin Huerter. The bench needed more offensive versatility and Cade Cunningham needed a secondary ball handler who can comfortably create offense for himself and the rest of the team, so they traded up four spots in the rookie NBA Draft for Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie.

With that said, reports have surfaced all offseason regarding the Pistons' front office and their willingness to trade for a real superstar alongside Cunningham. Names from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard down to Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, and Zach LaVine have all been linked to the Pistons all summer, but nothing like that has happened. Pistons fans are beginning to wonder whether that big trade will come at the trade deadline or whether this Pistons team is finalized as they are right now.

Will the Pistons trade for another superstar? Do they need one?

LeBron James is still a free agent, Kyrie Irving sticks out like a sore thumb in the Dallas Mavericks young locker room, and the Sacramento Kings are still holding onto Zach LaVine instead of trading him for whatever his market has dropped down to now.

DeMar Derozan was waived by the Kings and is still an unrestricted free agent. While activity is likely to pick up once LeBron makes his free agency decision, the concerns regarding Detroit's offseason may revolve around whether they need to make a trade at all, rather than who they should make a big trade for.

The Pistons were toward the bottom half of the league in major statistical categories such as three-point efficiency, three-point volume, and assists. Pistons President Trajan Langdon has done everything he can to remedy all those flaws. There's still just one crucial missing piece.

When it's time for clutch situations at the end of the fourth quarter, the Pistons still don't have a seasoned and experienced veteran shot creator who can generate points solely on his own, similar to how Jalen Brunson was able to do in the NBA Finals this summer.

Cunningham has proven many times he can shoulder the weight of being a top superstar, but winning a championship will always take a village. Cunningham shouldn't have to be relied on to carry a team's offense against elite playoff defenses anymore.

Whether or not Detroit will use another batch of young players and draft assets to trade for a veteran superstar is unclear as of right now.

What's the latest with Jalen Duren's contract extension?

Another cloud of uncertainty looms over the Pistons, and this one is a bit gloomier.

Pistons big man Jalen Duren became eligible for 30% of the team's total cap space. Langdon and the rest of the Pistons front office offered Duren a clear that better resembled Jarrett Allen and Alperen Sengun's contracts. Duren has reportedly grown frustrated with how the negotiations have gone and the two parties are at a standstill.

Detroit has also declined sign-and-trades from other teams. The Pistons plan on keeping Duren as part of their core. Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds during the regular season, but those averages plummeted to 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds during the postseason. The least likely scenario is Duren signing the $9.6 million qualifying offer for one year, which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer.

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