Pistons Notes: Game 7 Loss, Bickerstaff, Thompson, Offseason

The Pistons‘ 60-22 regular season record in 2025/26 represented the third-best mark in the franchise’s storied history. However, Detroit’s playoff run ended abruptly on Sunday night with a blowout home loss to the Cavaliers. Cleveland took a 4-3 lead with 10:45 remaining in the first quarter and didn’t relinquish that lead for the rest of the night en route to a 125-94 victory.

As anticlimactic as Sunday’s Game 7 loss was, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was determined to look on the bright side during his post-game media session, as Bob Tripi of The Associated Press writes.

“It’s not a disappointment at all. And not ever will I be disappointed in these guys,” Bickerstaff said. “These guys, every single day gave us what they got. So, it is not a disappointment. It’s a loss and it’s a tough loss, but that adjective will never be used with this group.

“… “This team is awesome, and they’re a special group of guys. I couldn’t be more appreciative of how they allow us to coach them, work with them every single day. The spirit they carry, their willingness to grow, their willingness to sacrifice. It’s a special group.”

While Bickerstaff insisted that Sunday’s outcome shouldn’t – and wouldn’t – define his team, Pistons guard Ausar Thompson said he wouldn’t be quick to forget how the team played in a do-or-die game and intends to use it as motivation next season.

“No, I’m not forgetting. I’m not forgetting. I mean, that series, that felt personal,” he said, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “So, I’m not forgetting it. I remember.”

• The front office remains fully committed to Bickerstaff, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, who hears from league sources that the Pistons view Bickerstaff as their coach of the future and hope he’ll be around for the long term. The organization likes the culture he has helped build in Detroit and the relationships he has cultivated in the locker room, Patterson adds. Detroit just announced a contract extension for Bickerstaff two weeks ago.
• Thompson will be extension-eligible this offseason and the Pistons would like to get a new deal done, since they view the defensive standout as a key part of their core, Patterson reports. While his offensive contributions remain limited, Thompson finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting and averaged 3.8 “stocks” (steals and blocks) per game in the postseason.
• Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News (subscription required) shares his takeaways following the Pistons’ second-round exit, observing that the second unit struggled in the playoffs and that the front office needs to add more secondary scoring to help out Cade Cunningham.
• Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) takes a look at a few of the biggest questions facing the Pistons this summer, including what center Jalen Duren‘s next contract will look like and whether forward Tobias Harris will be re-signed. ESPN’s Bobby Marks covers similar ground in his preview of Detroit’s offseason while pointing out that Isaiah Stewart is another Piston who will be extension-eligible beginning in July.