Pistons Projected to Land 24 PPG Elite Wing With Cade Cunningham in a Trade

Perhaps the Detroit Pistons took the “offseason” a bit too literally. They’ve been rather quiet. For a lot of Detroit homers, deafeningly quiet.

Fresh off a 60-win regular season, the Pistons know that taking a step back this early into a budding championship window is not an option. Their star player, Cade Cunningham, is approaching his prime and won’t grow any more patient if the Pistons don’t do a lot of winning in the coming years. 

Some would argue Detroit took a step back this offseason. That they didn’t (or haven’t yet) given Cunningham the secondary scorer and creator he needs to not only take the next step individually but to guide the team further in the playoffs. 

With how things are shaking out around the league and especially the Eastern Conference, the Pistons probably won’t find it easy to repeat as the No. 1 seed in the East. And with the Brooklyn Nets going through some growing pains in the early stages of yet another rebuild, their star player, Michael Porter Jr., could shake free, and he is someone the Pistons must take a closer look at.

Porter to the Pistons Would Give Cade Cunningham the Weapon He Needs to Take the Next Step

GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – MAY 15: Cade Cunningham #2 celebrates with Daniss Jenkins #24 of the Detroit Pistons during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Six of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Rocket Arena on May 15, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

What may not be getting talked about as much is the Pistons losing Tobias Harris this offseason. Harris, 34, was Detroit’s second-leading scorer in the postseason. He had a handful of 20-point games, many of them produced when the Pistons absolutely needed it. With Harris gone and the Pistons still having no true replacement, Porter makes sense for Detroit to pursue. 

In a proposed four-team trade with plenty of moving parts, the Pistons come away with Porter at a rather affordable price, allowing the Pistons to give Cunningham a co-star without surrendering a surplus of assets. Here is a potential framework.

Pistons receive: Michael Porter Jr., Dennis Schroder and a 2032 second round pick (via CLE)

Nets receive: Jarrett Allen, Duncan Robinson, Garry Harris, Taurean Prince and second round picks in 2027, 2029 and 2033 (via DET)

Cavs receive: Aaron Gordon and second round picks in 2027 and 2028 (via BKN)

Nuggets receive: Max Strus, Ron Holland II and a 2031 first round pick (via CLE)

In this trade, the Pistons are sending out four players (only two high-level contributors) and a second round pick to land Porter. 

Why Detroit Gets Better With Porter

Porter appears to be a very gettable target. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Porter and the Nets are not expected to reach a contract extension this offseason. Porter, who is owed nearly $41 million next season, is entering the final year of his contract. With Porter being on an expiring contract, all the better for the Pistons. 

Porter is in his prime and one of the league’s top wing scorers. He registered a career-high 24.2 points per game last season. He is a well-established long-range shooter and someone who has proven to have championship-sized impact. 

For the Nuggets, Porter, as one of the top three scoring options, played a vital role in the team’s march to the 2023 NBA championship. 

For the Pistons, there is plenty of reason to believe that Porter, as a part of a Big Three led by Cunningham and Jalen Duren (if he returns), can have the impact he had in Denver playing alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. 

Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

The post Pistons Projected to Land 24 PPG Elite Wing With Cade Cunningham in a Trade appeared first on HEAVY.