The Quiet Way Detroit Pistons Might Have Won This Offseason

Without listening to the noise from the outside, the Detroit Pistons have instead focused on getting the players they want.

Sep 30, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon poses for his official 2024-25 season head shot. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

You could sum up the Detroit Pistons’ offseason as underwhelming, but maybe they have had a better summer than we all think.

The priority was to find a secondary scorer to Cade Cunningham and finalize a new contract for Jalen Duren. Neither of which has come to fruition, but no one knows the lineup and the Pistons’ philosophy like their president of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon.

And could his conservative approach towards this offseason have perhaps paid dividends and made Detroit a sleeper team ahead of training camp?

A quiet offseason last time out led to 60 wins

The Pistons didn’t really set the NBA ablaze with their offseason moves last year either; however, what followed was a stellar regular season, where they were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but it was marred by a cagey playoff run that saw them dismissed by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That was cause for the need for a secondary scorer ahead of this upcoming campaign.

They have made notable moves this summer, highlighted by the signing of former Los Angeles Clippers forward John Collins to a three-year, $51 million contract.

Detroit also bolstered its roster by acquiring Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe, along with Milwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince and guard Gary Harris, in a series of trades. Good moves, but all done under the radar.

While a 60-win season in a much stronger Eastern Conference remains to be seen, Langdon has given the Pistons better spacing and three-point accuracy, especially with the signing of Joe, who shot 42% from beyond the arc for the Thunder in 71 appearances last season.

These moves show that Langdon hasn’t panicked or made any rash moves, which is also evident in the Pistons dealing with Duren’s contract, where he is after the maximum deal yet Detroit are hesitant to go that far.

“If it’s a trade, then it has to be a trade that we feel is worthwhile,” Langdon said before the NBA Draft in June.

“We’re not going to go out and give out too many assets for a player…Not having those assets down the road (can) hamper us in terms of making another move. We’re having internal thoughts and talks every day right now, the closer we get to that time.”

So while the Pistons have heard the buzz and opinions from the outside about who they need to sign, Detroit have instead listened to their own buzz of who they feel they need to sign.

Have they quietly been successful this offseason? We’ll see.