Free Agent Stock Watch: Detroit Pistons
For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents – or could become free agents – during the 2026 offseason. We’ll consider whether each player’s stock is rising or falling due to his performance and several other factors.
Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Pistons players, starting with an All-NBA candidate who had a breakout fourth season in Detroit.
Pistons Clinch Top Seed In Eastern Conference
The Pistons clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2006/07 following Saturday’s lopsided victory in Philadelphia, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
Detroit is currently 57-21 with four games left in the regular season. The team now has home-court advantage throughout the East playoffs.
Veteran forward Tobias Harris was among seven Pistons who scored in double figures on Saturday, finishing with a team-high 19 points, four rebounds, four steals and two assists in 27 minutes. The 33-year-old, who spent five-plus years with the Sixers, was booed throughout the game, per ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill, and viewed it as test against a team trying to secure a playoff berth.
“It’s a good opportunity to go out there and play and figure it out,” Harris said. “It gets you ready for the playoffs, high intensity basketball. In any other arena, they boo the other team, not specifically you. For me I look at it as a challenge. Use it as a training, really.”
The Pistons have gone 8-2 since Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung on March 17, with Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins continuing their strong play in the All-NBA guard’s absence. Detroit’s only two losses over that 10-game span were in overtime (vs. Atlanta and at Oklahoma City).
Fourth-year center Duren has averaged 22.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 66.0% from the field and 83.8% from the foul line in nine games over that stretch (he was out for the loss to the Thunder), while second-year guard Jenkins has put up 19.0 PPG, 7.7 APG and 4.4 RPG on .448/.438/.911 shooting in 10 contests.
“With Cade here we were more relaxed, we knew we had more of a superstar to get us to wins,” Pistons swingman Ausar Thompson told ESPN. “But since he’s been gone we all gathered around and knew we had to be more gritty, missing such a big piece. We had to make up for less offense on the defensive side.”
The last formal update on Cunningham came a few days ago, when the Pistons announced that he “continues to make progress in his return to play process” and would be reevaluated in a week. According to Goodwill, all signs continue to point to Cunningham being ready to return for Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs.
Injury Notes: Curry, Harris, Embiid, Giddey, Jones Garcia
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr provided an encouraging update on Stephen Curry after the 38-year-old went through another scrimmage on Thursday evening, tweets Nick Friedell of The Athletic.
“He looked good … he looks like Steph Curry,” Kerr said.
Kerr wouldn’t commit to Curry playing on Sunday, saying that would be up to the star guard and director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini. A final call will likely happen on Friday, Friedell adds, but it certainly sounds like Curry is on track to suit up this weekend, barring a last-minute setback.
The two-time MVP has been sidelined since late January due to patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee.
Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:
- Veteran forward Tobias Harris suffered a left knee contusion in the first half of Thursday’s matchup with Minnesota and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the Pistons announced (via Twitter). Harris, who has started each of the 59 games in which he’s appeared this season, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
- Sixers center Joel Embiid has been listed as doubtful ahead of Friday’s game vs. Minnesota because of an illness, per Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice. Embiid sat out Wednesday’s win against Washington because he was sick and the doubtful designation suggests he’s likely to miss a second consecutive game.
- Josh Giddey was held out of Wednesday’s contest vs. Indiana after experiencing left hamstring tightness and his status for the final six games of the season is up in the air, according to Brian Sandalow of The Chicago Sun-Times. The Australian guard missed 19 games due to left hamstring issues earlier in 2025/26 and is considered day-to-day, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said.
- Rookie wing David Jones Garcia, who is about two months removed from season-ending ankle surgery, is no longer using a scooter and is traveling with the Spurs during their ongoing road trip, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Jones Garcia is expected to make a full recovery at some point in the offseason. “He’s a big part of the locker room and the group and the guys, so it’s been good to have him around,” head coach Mitch Johnson said.
Injury Notes: McBride, Grant, Edwards, Pistons
Miles McBride will return to action for the Knicks on Sunday after being sidelined since January 27 due to a sports hernia surgery, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (via Twitter).
McBride is scoring at a career-best rate this season, averaging 12.9 points per game while hitting a career-high 42.0% of his 6.9 three-point attempts per contest.
His return comes during a key stretch for the Knicks, who are looking to catch the Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the East while playing in Oklahoma City on Sunday and Houston on Tuesday in two of their remaining regular season tests. Entering Sunday, the Knicks trail the Celtics by 1.5 games.
Edwards adds (via Twitter) that McBride will be on a minutes restriction, though he doesn’t specify what the restriction will be. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post adds that Landry Shamet is with the Knicks on their road trip, and, according to coach Mike Brown, is progressing in his recovery from a bone bruise in his knee (Twitter link).
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- According to Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter, veteran forward Jerami Grant underwent an MRI on his calf and will remain without a recovery timeline until he can go through more testing, per Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (via Twitter). Grant said he “felt a pop” in his right calf during the third quarter of Friday’s loss to the Mavericks.
- Anthony Edwards has been upgraded to questionable for the Timberwolves‘ game on Monday, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Edwards has missed Minnesota’s last six games with a knee injury, with the team going 4-2 during that stretch. The Wolves currently hold a half-game lead over the Rockets for the No. 5 seed in the West.
- The Pistons have a lengthy injury report for Monday’s game against the Thunder, with Jalen Duren (right knee), Tobias Harris (left hip), and Duncan Robinson (right hip) all listed as doubtful, while Ausar Thompson (right ankle) is questionable. Detroit is already missing Cade Cunningham (left lung) and Isaiah Stewart (left calf).
And-Ones: Las Vegas, Free Agents, WNBA, Misery Index
The NBA’s Board of Governors will vote this week on whether to explore adding expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle. Mike Vorkunov, Jesse Granger, Vic Tafur, Sabreena Merchant and Oskar Garcia of The Athletic consider whether Las Vegas is the right choice for NBA expansion.
While the general consensus among the authors is that the city would be a viable choice for expansion despite being a relatively small media market, Tafur suggests that it would benefit the league if the potential new team is able to be competitive sooner rather than later, as Las Vegas “does not have a strong attention span.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) examines the contract situations of 10 players who will or could be free agents this summer, including four Lakers (Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart) and two Pistons (Tobias Harris and Daniss Jenkins). Reaves has earned a significant raise on his current contract and has boosted his value this season, according to Gozlan, who wonders if a rival team might give the 27-year-old guard a two- or three-year maximum-salary deal in an effort to poach him away from Los Angeles. Either way, Gozlan expects Reaves to still be a member of the Lakers in 2026/27.
- The WNBA and WNBPA have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, the NBA announced in a press release. Players are projected to receive major pay increases across the board, among other noteworthy details.
- Zach Harper of The Athletic lists the top five teams on his Misery Index, with the Bucks coming in at No. 1, followed by the Kings at No. 2 and the Pelicans at No. 3. Not only has Milwaukee had a very disappointing season, but the team also doesn’t have young players to build around or much hope of turning things around in the near future, Harper writes.
Pistons Notes: Stewart, Rotation, Harris, Holland
Isaiah Stewart made his return to the Pistons‘ rotation on Tuesday after his seven-game league suspension expired. Stewart was penalized for his participated in a pre-All-Star break brawl with the Hornets.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was thrilled to have his top frontcourt reserve back in uniform, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
“There’s so much he brings to the table on both ends of the floor,” Bickerstaff said. “Intangibles, his spirit, his energy, his effort. … It’ll be great to have him back from a basketball standpoint, but from a personal standpoint and emotional standpoint.”
The opposing coach also spoke of Stewart’s importance to his Central Division rival, the Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II tweets.
“He fits perfectly their style of play,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I don’t think he gets enough credit because he’s such a physical player, but he’s a skilled player … gives them another great rim protector.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Bickerstaff likes to go deep into his bench and that’s not likely to change the rest of the regular season, Patterson tweets. “I don’t think so,” the Pistons’ coach said of shrinking the rotation. “We’re so comfortable with the depth and the guys we have. … Typically in the past, nine is a great number. But we’re struggling to get away from 12.”
- Cade Cunningham is inspired by the longevity and consistency of starting forward Tobias Harris, he told Coty Davis of the Detroit News. “It’s impressive. It is something all of us young guys aspire to be,” Cunningham said. “In year 15, I want to be able to come out, feel good, and be able to get into my bag as he does. For him to be doing that with us and bringing as much fire to our huddles and on the court, it means a lot.” Harris, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, is averaging 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game. He made a key shot in overtime against Cleveland on Friday, following up by a 23-point, seven-rebound effort against Orlando on Sunday. “For me, it has been about keeping myself mentally and physically in the best condition,” Harris said.
- Second-year wing Ron Holland is shooting a woeful 22.7 percent on three-point attempts but the coaching staff won’t deter him from taking open looks, according to Sankofa. “His open shot is the best shot,” Bickerstaff said. “We want him to believe that, if he’s doing the other things. His strength is putting pressure on the rim, and if he’s not doing that and just settling for jumpers, then he’s not maximizing his opportunities. But if he’s driving, he’s attacking, he’s defending, he’s running, the ball finds him in the corner, it’s an open shot, that shot is the best shot for us.”
- In case you missed it, Cunningham was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month. Get the details here.
Lakers Rumors: Doncic, LeBron, Offseason Targets, Giannis
It was a relatively quiet trade deadline for the Lakers, who were linked to a myriad of potential targets but ended up making just one relatively minor deal, sending Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick to Atlanta for Luke Kennard. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, general manager Rob Pelinka described the Lakers as being “aggressive” at the deadline while using a nontraditional definition of the term.
“One form of being aggressive is saying no to moves that come your way that might not be best for the short- and long-term future,” Pelinka said. “That’s like being aggressive, even though you end up doing nothing, because it’s hard to say no sometimes to getting a good player that could be a quick short-term fix, but could have implications for the long term where it doesn’t fit into the overall vision you have for the team.”
A source close to Luka Doncic tells ESPN that the All-Star guard supported the team’s focus on the “long-term picture” at the trade deadline. That “adherence to discipline” at the deadline could lead to an eventful summer, according to McMenamin, who notes that the club preserved its most valuable trade assets and its future cap flexibility and is in position to create more than $50MM in cap room even if Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart pick up their respective player options.
Here’s more from McMenamin on the Lakers’ plans going forward:
- That $50MM+ cap projection doesn’t account for LeBron James, but if he wants to continue his career in 2026/27, the Lakers would welcome him back, sources tell McMenamin. Pelinka has said before that he’d love for James to retire as a Laker, and that would apply in 2027, not just 2026, McMenamin writes. Still, one Eastern Conference executive who spoke to ESPN believes it would be in the team’s best long-term interests to move on from LeBron and focus on building around Doncic this offseason. “Let him walk and use the space to retool around Luka,” that exec said. “Keeping (Austin) Reaves is critical. (Doncic) plays best with another ball handler/creator like with Kyrie (Irving) and (Jalen) Brunson.”
- Heat forward Andrew Wiggins and Rockets wing Tari Eason are among the potential 2026 free agent targets the Lakers have discussed internally, per McMenamin, though it remains to be seen if either will actually be available — Wiggins holds a 2026/27 player option, while Eason will be a restricted free agent. Peyton Watson is another player the Lakers have on their radar, since the cap-strapped Nuggets would have to shed salary or go into second-apron territory to match an aggressive offer sheet for the RFA-to-be. “We felt like creating optionality or having optionality now is really a positive thing for us this coming offseason,” Pelinka said earlier this month. “Because there’s some teams that maybe have gotten too deep into the aprons. And I think players, we see around the league, become available when teams get in that position.”
- One rival front office member who spoke to ESPN suggested the Lakers need to “get as many defenders with length that can knock down a shot as possible.” Tobias Harris, Quentin Grimes, and Dean Wade are among the other players who fit that bill and who will be unrestricted free agents in 2026, McMenamin notes.
- Of course, while the Lakers would like to add quality role players to complement Doncic, they also believe they could be among the top suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Bucks explore moving the star forward again this summer, team sources tell McMenamin. Los Angeles will have the ability to trade up to three first-round picks (2026, 2031, and 2033) in the offseason and one Western Conference executive told ESPN that he thinks Giannis is the “big prize” the club has its eye on.
Trade Rumors: AD, Mavs, Bridges, Sabonis, Pistons, More
In their initial trade discussions with teams earlier this season about big man Anthony Davis, the Mavericks were seeking multiple first-round picks or an impact player, sources tell ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. However, there were no takers at that price, even prior to Davis’ most recent injury, a hand issue that will keep him sidelined through the deadline.
While a pre-deadline Davis deal is no longer considered likely, it’s not impossible, Windhorst writes — but it would almost certainly require Dallas to drop its asking price and settle for perhaps one solid asset, plus matching salary. With no urgency to make a move right now, it probably makes more sense for the Mavs to wait until the offseason to make a decision on the 32-year-old.
Rival teams anticipate that Dallas will pursue trades involving other players in an effort to reduce their team salary for 2026/27, Tim Bontemps of ESPN says within the same story. Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, and D’Angelo Russell are among the Mavs’ trade candidates who have guaranteed salaries or (in Russell’s case) a player option for next season. Turning any of them into a player – or players – with expiring salary could help the Mavs manage their cap situation for next season, reducing the need to move off Davis’ maximum-salary contract, Bontemps observes.
Here are a few more of the latest trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Hornets forward Miles Bridges likely won’t be moved at the trade deadline, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Amick reported in January that Bridges was drawing legitimate trade interest from a handful of teams, but Charlotte has been in a roll since then, registering seven consecutive wins and moving within one game of a play-in spot. A league source tells The Athletic that the forward – for whom the Hornets were reportedly seeking at least one first-round pick – is “highly likely” to remain in Charlotte.
- In their discussions about Domantas Sabonis, the Kings have explored three-for-one or four-for-one frameworks with the Raptors, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat, who suggests such a package would start with forward RJ Barrett and may include players like Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick. Sacramento would also want rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, but he’s someone Toronto would “fight to hold onto,” Ham adds. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link) has also heard that Barrett and Agbaji have come up in the Sabonis talks between the Raptors and Kings.
- Checking in on the Pistons‘ approach to the trade deadline, Hunter Patterson of the Athletic suggests the team seems unlikely to make any major moves and hasn’t engaged in discussions involving veteran forward Tobias Harris, whom head coach J.B. Bickerstaff refers to as his “security blanket.” Detroit will be opportunistic if a favorable deal arises and still has a $14MM trade exception available, but that exception doesn’t expire until July 7, so the team could end up hanging onto it until the offseason, Patterson writes.
- Following up on a HoopsHype report that suggested the Sixers were among the team to express exploratory interest in Celtics forward/center Chris Boucher, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) says a source downplayed Philadelphia’s interest, despite Boucher’s connection to 76ers head coach Nick Nurse.
Central Notes: Harris, Turner, Porter, Bulls, Pacers
Tobias Harris has been the subject of some trade speculation, so Cade Cunningham made sure to point out his value to the Pistons after Monday’s win over Boston, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Harris’ $26.6MM expiring contract gives him significant value as a trade asset, but Cunningham stated that his contributions to the team wouldn’t be easy to replace.
“The way that he carries himself, his professionalism, how he takes care of his body, goes about his work, is an inspiration to all the young guys,” Cunningham said. “We all see that. And to see the success that he’s had and how he continues to go at it like that is impressive. We’re all thankful for it.”
Detroit solidified its hold on the top spot in the East with a one-point victory over the second-place Celtics and wrapped up the tiebreaker with a 3-1 lead in the season series. It was the league-leading 18th “clutch” win of the season for the Pistons, who outscored Boston in the paint by a 48-32 margin and held a 20-3 advantage in fast break points. The game had a playoff atmosphere, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff was happy with how his young team responded.
“You can tell both teams really wanted it,” he said. “They raised the level of intensity and they were battling. I think it’s a great experience for our guys, and even better to come out with a win.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Bucks won’t have center Myles Turner or guard Kevin Porter Jr. for Wednesday’s game against Oklahoma City, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). Turner is day-to-day with a sprained left ankle, but Porter could be sidelined for a while with an oblique muscle strain. “He’s not gonna play anytime soon, I can tell you that,” coach Doc Rivers said in his pregame session with reporters (Twitter link). “But we don’t know how long he will be out.” Rivers added that Porter underwent an MRI on Tuesday.
- The Bulls are again stuck in mediocrity and are in danger of being passed by several Eastern Conference rivals next season, contends Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Cowley blames a lack of creativity on the part of executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas for allowing Toronto, Detroit and Philadelphia to overtake his team over the last two years. He cites Atlanta, Charlotte and Indiana as sub-.500 teams that could all be better than the Bulls in 2026/27.
- It’s been a rough first half of the season for the Pacers, who arrived at the midway point at 9-32, observes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Dopirak examines the performance of every player on the roster through the first 41 games, along with their likelihood to return next season.
Central Notes: Bulls, Cunningham, Duren, Pistons, Mitchell
The Bulls‘ front office went nearly three years (from August 2021 to June 2024) without making a trade involving a player, but the team has been a little more active on the trade market in the past year-and-a-half. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, there’s a sense that trend could continue this season.
As Cowley explains, league sources have described executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas as more transparent in trade talks and more realistic in terms of his asking prices since last season’s trade deadline. Rival executives have gotten the sense that Karnisovas is open for business this winter, with the Bulls once again hovering just below .500 and more than half of their roster on expiring contracts.
Karnisovas is starting to feel more pressure from Bulls higher-ups to get the team pointed in the right direction, according to Cowley, who says the team has been hurt by too many “passive” decisions in recent years.
We have more from around the Central:
- After four days off, the banged-up Pistons will be getting some reinforcements and should be closer to full strength for their game against Phoenix on Thursday, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Point guard Cade Cunningham is off the injury report and will be available after missing two games due to a right wrist contusion, while center Jalen Duren is considered probable to play after being sidelined for four games with a sprained right ankle. Forward Tobias Harris (left hip sprain) and big man Isaiah Stewart (illness) are also listed as probable to return following brief absences.
- Hunter Patterson and John Hollinger of The Athletic team up to consider potential Pistons moves ahead of the trade deadline, as well as how the team might create room on the 15-man roster for two-way standout Daniss Jenkins. Hollinger suggests that Detroit still needs to find a long-term answer at power forward, while Patterson hears from league sources that the front office is expected to be “opportunistic but not aggressive.”
- Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was born in New York, but he said in a video diary for Andscape that he’d like to play for the World team if he makes this year’s All-Star Game, pointing to his Panamanian roots on his mother’s side. “I do think I should be on the World team,” Mitchell said (YouTube link). “But I don’t think people look at me as like a Panamanian basketball player. But I do. I would love to be on the World team if I got a chance. If not, I’m not tripping. Don’t get me wrong. But I definitely want to show love to my Panamanian roots and my people in Panama.”