The Detroit Pistons are expected to prioritize adding a secondary scoring option to Cade Cunningham this offseason. The Pistons relied too much on Cunningham in the NBA playoffs as they failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals despite being the top seed.
According to John Canady of Pistons Powered, the Pistons should take a gamble on New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson.
“Williamson would be the perfect buy-low target that could elevate Cunningham, given his upside as an ideal running mate,” Canady wrote. “The 25-year-old has yet to hit his prime; he’s an elite offensive weapon at his best, and he still has another level to reach. It’s hard to justify this size of a swing, but a change of scenery could be exactly what Williamson needs to revive his career.”
In 62 games this season, Williamson averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steals. He shot 60.0% from the field, but he was limited to just 25.0% from beyond the arc and 71.6% from the free-throw line.
The Pelicans finished with a 26-56 record. They enter a new era under new coach Jamahl Mosley. They are also reportedly ready to explore trading most of their players this offseason.
Pelicans Open To Trading Zion Williamson
According to Garland Gillen of WVUE FOX 8, Pelicans executive vice president for basketball operations Joe Dumars is “open to anything” this offseason.
Citing Jake Madison of the Locked on Pelicans podcast, Gillen also reported that the Pelicans only consider two players untouchable: rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears.
That means Zion Williamson could be available for the Pistons or any other NBA team that wants to take a risk on the former No. 1 pick.
Williamson looks like an elite player when healthy, but his problem has always been his durability. He has only played at least 70 games once in his career and has dealt with muscle-related injuries over the past couple of seasons. He even missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a fractured foot.
Despite his lack of durability, Williamson has had a productive career. He has career averages of 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
Pistons GM Sets Offseason Priority
GettyCade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons while playing the Philadelphia 76ers at Little Caesars Arena on March 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan.
Speaking to reporters during the team’s end-of-season interviews last month, Pistons general manager Trajan Langdon was asked about his plans this summer.
Langdon didn’t want to commit to a potential major trade, but he would prioritize another ball-handler aside from Cade Cunningham and more shooting.
“The more ballhandling you can have on the floor, the better,” Langdon said, via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “I think you see these teams that are successful have a lot of people that can. … Just spreading the floor and shooting helps. Everybody knew that that was something we might struggle with a little bit.”
The Pistons also have to make a decision on Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris, who are both free agents this offseason. Duren is a restricted free agent, while Harris is unrestricted.
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