2 trades Pistons must make to take next step after 60-win season

The Detroit Pistons had a fantastic 2025-26 season. They earned the one-seed in the Eastern Conference, they won their first playoff series since 2008, and Cade Cunningham was in MVP conversations. However, their second-round loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers proves that there is still work to do and that changes need to be made.

Most importantly, Detroit needs Jalen Duren to play like the All-Star he was in the regular season, and not the shell of himself that was around in the playoffs. After a hot start, Tobias Harris also had some postseason struggles that will be inexcusable going forward. Both of those players are impending free agents, but they can both be expected back in Detroit.

That means it might take hitting the trade market for the Pistons to improve their roster. So, what deals can the Pistons make this offseason in order to take the next step forward after a 60-win season?

2. Santi Aldama would upgrade the rotation

Detroit Pistons receive: Santi Aldama

Memphis Grizzlies receive: Ron Holland

The Pistons are a gritty team that gives constant effort, plays with physicality, and excels on the defensive end. However, they aren’t as impressive on the offensive end as most one seeds are. Their 3-point shooting as a team, in particular, was a major weak point this year. In fact, Detroit made just 11 long bombs per game during the regular season, which ranked 28th in the league. It is hard to thrive at the top level in this era without reliable shooting.

Duren is a throwback big, Cade Cunningham is at his best when getting downhill, and Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland are non-shooters. Duncan Robinson was forced to carry a heavy burden this season as the team’s only elite 3-point shooter. The Pistons have plenty of slashers and defenders, so they should trade one of them for a shooter.

Therefore, a Holland-for-Santi Aldama swap would make a lot of sense. Aldama would not only bring more shooting to the roster, but he’d bring more spacing for a team that often clogs things up inside. He is also just the better player compared to Holland, who hasn’t reached the potential scouts thought he had before he was drafted fifth overall in 2024.

The Memphis Grizzlies power forward averaged 14.0 points to Holland’s 8.2 this year. He is a capable rebounder and has the length to disrupt opponents on defense. Aldama would be an upgrade for the Pistons, but the Grizzlies just might do this trade if they embrace a rebuild. They’ve already recently dealt Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, so getting even younger and hoping Holland reaches his potential isn’t a bad idea.

1. Michael Porter Jr. brings the shooting that the Pistons need

Detroit Pistons receive: Michael Porter Jr.

Brooklyn Nets receive: two first-round picks, first-round pick swap option, two second-round picks, Marcus Sasser, Paul Reed, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland

While an Aldama trade would provide the Pistons with an upgrade, it wouldn’t be a blockbuster deal. Detroit hasn’t been overly aggressive in recent years, as they’ve instead opted for internal development, but this is the offseason that they might go all in. A trade for Michael Porter Jr. would provide the Pistons with another star.

Porter broke out in a big way in his first season with the Brooklyn Nets. He was given the ultimate green light after the Denver Nuggets traded him, and it resulted in a career-high 24.2 points per game. Porter is 6-foot-10 and can hit jumpers over anybody. Whether he is wide open or heavily contested, the assumption is that the ball will drop through the net when he gets a shot up. The once highly touted high school recruit showed a greater ability than ever before to create off the bounce this past season, too.

His offensive prowess could really take the Pistons to the next level, and he’d be a perfect fit with players like Cunningham, Thompson, and Duren. The Nets just might trade him, too. Despite his emergence as their top option, the Nets are still rebuilding, so rumors have suggested that they’d flip Porter one year after acquiring him if it meant landing a bigger haul than they got from the Nuggets.

The Pistons have plenty of draft capital, so they could entice the team with multiple first and second-round picks, swap options, and young players, including Holland and Marcus Sasser. Porter has championship experience in his own right, so he could be the right man for the job to elevate the Pistons to the next level.

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