The Detroit Pistons’ future is likely to be as bright as their present, as they received good news about the future of their young core Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren.
According to The Athletic’s John Hollinger, it would be easy for the Pistons to navigate the salary cap and retain Cunningham, Thompson, and Duren for the foreseeable future, considering each one’s current value.
“I don’t see it as a big obstacle,” Hollinger wrote. “Duren is probably signing for less than the max, and I would expect the same to happen with Thompson. More importantly, Trajan Langdon has kept the remainder of Detroit’s books remarkably clean, to the point the Pistons are nearly $100 million below next season’s first-apron line.”
“Even if they give Duren $35 million and Thompson $30 million, they won’t be anywhere near the tax, let alone either of the aprons.”
For Hollinger, the biggest challenge for the Pistons is finding the right role players to play alongside their core.
“Bigger picture, despite its success last season, Detroit’s biggest long-term issue remains finding one or two more players worth paying, not figuring out how to pay the players they already have,” he said.
Detroit Pistons’s Biggest Problem Right Now
GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – MAY 17: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons reacts as he is substituted during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Seven of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 17, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Right now, the biggest problem that has arisen is signing Duren to a deal. Contract negotiations between Duren and the Pistons have dragged on because Duren is seeking a five-year maximum contract worth roughly $287 million, while the Pistons prefer a lower annual range around $30-32 million to avoid luxury tax complications and future second-apron restrictions.
Cunningham, the engine of the Pistons’ offense, is locked in with the team under a five-year, maximum designated rookie extension worth $269 million. The deal reached the maximum $269 million threshold (escalating from a base of $224 million) after he earned All-NBA honors last season. This contract runs through the 2029-2030 season.
Thompson is playing on a four-year rookie-scale contract worth $36.2 million and is eligible for a rookie extension ahead of an October deadline. The team reportedly views him as a core pillar, but formal negotiations are moving behind teammate Duren’s ongoing extension talks
The Pistons surprised everyone in the 2025-2026 NBA season, finishing first in the Eastern Conference with a 60-22 record.
However, their playoff run ended in the second round following a tough Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Pistons GM Talks About Building A Winning Team
GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – MAY 03: Daniss Jenkins #24, Cade Cunningham #2, Tobias Harris #12 and Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons celebrate a basket against Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic during the second quarter in Game Seven of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 03, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Pistons general manager Trajan Langdon has been in awe of the team’s growth over the past year off the backs of Cunningham, Thompson, and Duren.
In his interview with the Detroit Free Press, Langdon expresses how he plans to build the Pistons in the long run.
“Spacing the floor is huge and just giving more optionality on the offensive end to have more creativity,” he said. “When you have multiple ball-handlers and more shooting on the floor that opens it up for our three best players. Those are things we’re looking at. How do we fill that? Can we fill it with two players, do we fill it with one, or do we do it with a big, we’ll look at all those different options.”
The Pistons have been busy this offseason, snatching John Collins, Isaiah Joe, and Taurean Prince via trade and free agency.
The team is expected to have an uphill climb in the Eastern Conference next season with numerous team loading up their roster.
Detroit Pistons Receive Good News About Cunningham, Thompson, Duren Futures