Pistons Predicted to Land Offensive Star

The Detroit Pistons could be one move away. Right now, they are the best team in the Eastern Conference. With one more piece, they would be the favorites to make the NBA Finals out of the East. The problem is that the Pistons are still young and don't want to risk ruining their great chemistry. Adding a big piece could be a risk. What they have going is good; could a trade ruin that?

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report made some bold predictions ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline, and he believes that the Pistons are going to try to add a big offensive weapon before the deadline. 

“The Detroit Pistons are first in the East, but it'd still be hard to pick them over more experienced teams like the New York Knicks or Boston Celtics (assuming Jayson Tatum is back by then) in a playoff series.

The typical aging curve demands a few more speed bumps before the real breakout for title contention. The Oklahoma City Thunder crushed that trend last season, but that feels like more of an exception than a new rule.

Still, Detroit is close. And with one more big-time scorer in the lineup to take a little pressure off Cade Cunningham, the Pistons could skip some steps, too.

With plenty of movable salaries and draft picks, they could realistically chase options like Lauri Markkanen or Michael Porter Jr. to be that scorer.”

Adding MPJ or Markkanen would be enormous for the Pistons. If either of those players is truly available, the Pistons need to take a stab at getting them. The only thing is, the Pistons should make sure not to gut their current rotation just to add them.