Major changes could soon come for the Detroit Pistons, following their disappointing loss in seven games against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Very few roster spots will be safe. You can bet Cade Cunningham won’t be on the move. Beyond that, nobody is a sure thing. The third-year standout Ausar Thompson might be the closest to Cunningham in that aspect.
According to The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson, the Pistons still view Thompson as a part of the team’s core. The team is expected to “seek” a rookie-scale extension this offseason, locking Thompson in long-term.
The Ausar Thompson Investment
The Pistons spent their fifth-overall pick on Thompson in 2023.
Drafting him in such a high slot, the Pistons wasted no time putting Thompson on the floor as an everyday rotational player during his rookie effort.
During his first season, Thompson started 38 games. Once he fully recovered from a setback in year two, Thompson became a full-time starter.
In 2025-2026, Thompson posted averages of 9.9 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in 73 games. In the playoffs, he produced 8.2 points per game, along with 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.8 blocks.
When it comes to defense, Thompson is elite. If the Pistons pay a big contract, they are paying for that. Offensively, Thompson is a work in progress. His offensive limitations have been hard to overcome at times, with the Pistons dealing with spacing issues in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
After making 25.0% of his threes during the regular season, Thompson shot just 14.3% from deep during the 14-game playoff run. Unfortunately, that’s an improvement from last season.
The offense will remain a big question mark, but the Pistons seem quite satisfied with Thompson’s defense enough to the point where they are going to be willing to extend him as soon as he’s eligible.