Watching the Detroit Pistons on the wrong end of an upset loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the NBA legend Paul Pierce made a strong statement on the team’s roster.
“Cade Cunningham and Daniss Jenkins are the only two players I’m keeping. The rest of them, I’m exploring trade options,” Pierce said on No Fouls Given. “I’m exploring!”
Entering the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the Pistons were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They were the only team on that side of the league to notch 60 wins.
GettyCade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons during an NBA game.
In the first round, the Pistons barely squeezed out. Going against an Orlando Magic team that was deemed a bad matchup, the Pistons needed to come back from 1-3 to win in Game 7.
Round two started great for Detroit. They were off to a 2-0 lead against the Cavaliers, but lost three in a row. The Pistons managed to force Game 7, bringing the series back to Detroit. Having home-court did not matter.
The Pistons suffered a 125-94 beatdown. They exited the playoffs in round two. While many are giving the Pistons a pass, since most didn’t view them as true championship contenders entering the season, Pierce doesn’t agree that’s the correct mindset.
The ex-Boston Celtics star noted that expectations can and did change in-season. The Pistons knew they were a top team in the league, but they didn’t have any moves to shift the needle. They now know that the roster was not championship-caliber.
“Look at the roster… This roster has no upside,” Pierce said of the Pistons.
“Unless Ausar comes back and is shooting threes like Klay Thompson, alright, cool. That’s not going to happen.”
The Pistons Need Improvements
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 26: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons dribbles the ball against Amari Williams #77 of the Boston Celtics during the first half at the TD Garden on November 26, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts.
A lot of players came up short for Detroit when it mattered the most.
Jalen Duren was a glaring weakness on both ends of the floor. The first-time All-Star went from having his best season yet to potentially playing himself out of a max deal.
With Duren struggling, along with Isaiah Stewart’s shortcomings, the Pistons had to lean on the third-string center, Paul Reed, at times.
Shooting was another clear issue for the Pistons. With a lack of serious threats, the Pistons struggled with finding an ideal pacing for Cade Cunningham’s offense. While the former No. 1 pick averaged 28.1 points per game throughout the playoffs, it was a grind to get there.
Tobias Harris had a decent playoff run, but he came up short when it mattered the most. Duncan Robinson’s 11.8 points per game was the Pistons’ third-highest average.
Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon played the patient game with his young roster for two seasons. Knowing what he has and what he needs, Langdon simply can’t avoid taking bigger risks when building out the roster this time around.
Money needs to be spent. Trades need to be made, and draft picks need to be hit on in order to get Cade Cunningham the proper help he needs for 2026-2027.
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