The Detroit Pistons have many new challenges ahead; one of them is to defend their position as the top seed in a suddenly revamped Eastern Conference.
Rival teams made major moves this offseason, from the Miami Heat landing Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Philadelphia 76ers adding Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. If all goes well for Toronto, the Raptors will have acquired an All-NBA performer in Kawhi Leonard.
Now what about the Pistons?
They’ve been rather quiet this summer, much to the chagrin of their loyal fans. The John Collins signing was nice, and the Isaiah Joe trade certainly improves the team’s perimeter shooting. But what about that coveted second star to help out ascending superstar point guard Cade Cunningham?
The Trade Idea That Finally Lands Cade Cunningham a Star Backcourt Partner
GettyTORONTO, CANADA – FEBRUARY 11: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons reacts against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on February 11, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
It says a lot about the Pistons that they won 60 regular season games last season, just a few short years after engineering one of the worst seasons in NBA history. Detroit has quickly established the roots of a contender; it is just a piece or two away from climbing over the hump.
If the Pistons are serious about defending their top position in the Eastern Conference and hope to reach the conference finals, they should pick up the phone and call the Milwaukee Bucks to discuss a trade for 26-year-old star guard Tyler Herro. Here is a proposed framework that gets Herro, who was recently traded from the Heat, to the Motor City.
Pistons receive: Tyler Herro
Bucks receive: Duncan Robinson, Ron Holland, Chaz Lanier, a 2028 first round pick and two second round picks
Herro, a one-time All-Star, spent the last seven seasons in Miami. The Heat selected Herro with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Ironically, Herro was traded alongside the Heat’s No. 13 pick in this year’s draft earlier this offseason as a part of a seismic deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
There has been some speculation that the Bucks would look to flip Herro for additional assets after dealing Antetokounmpo. Herro is a win-now player, and the Bucks are in a true rebuilding phase. Trading Herro makes a ton of sense, especially if a deal (like this one) brings back some attractive draft capital and a young player like Holland.
Detroit Unwilling to Plunge, Making This Trade More Feasible
Recently, The Athletic reported that the Pistons explored a potential trade for Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Trey Murphy III. The franchise ultimately decided not to pursue any deal because of the asking price attached to each star.
“The Pistons were engaged in several discussions, but nothing came to fruition,” the report stated. “(General manager Trajan) Langdon has described Detroit as exploring every option, entering the offseason. According to sources, asking prices were too high, with certain star players on the market having the value of young talent, three first-round selections and multiple pick swaps. Whether it was Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant or Trey Murphy III, the Pistons couldn’t rationalize jeopardizing their future to make a win-now move in a shortened window.”
With Detroit hesitant to expend heavy capital to acquire a superstar, the aforementioned proposed Herro trade could be the exact sweet spot the Pistons are looking for.
With Cunningham leading the way, Herro, a scoring-minded guard who averaged 24 points per game in the 2024-25 season, would provide the Pistons with a high-level second scoring option.
Detroit lost a significant scorer this offseason in Tobias Harris. Adding Herro would make up for that loss and then some.
Would a lineup featuring Cunningham, Herro, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren help the Pistons represent the top seed in the East again next season?
Pistons Trade Pitch Lands Cade Cunningham a $120M All-Star Guard