The Detroit Pistons were the team to beat in the Eastern Conference for much of the 2025-26 season. The team exceeded all expectations and, by all accounts, should expect to continue contending in the future.
Of course, the team didn't go as far as they hoped to this season, but that's just part of being a young team. It's clear, though, that the team needs to add some more scoring around Cade Cunningham. There should be some opportunities to do so this offseason, and one writer suggests a blockbuster trade.
Pistons urged to pull off big trade during 2026 NBA Draft
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently published an updated mock draft for 2026. In this mock, he has the Pistons moving off of pick No. 21 and using it to get a co-star for Cunningham.
Buckley's proposal looks like this:
Brooklyn Nets receive: No. 21 pick, Ron Holland II, Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert and 2030 first-round pick swap
Detroit Pistons receive: Michael Porter Jr. and Drake Powell
There's a lot to unpack in this one. The Pistons get Michael Porter Jr. and recent draft pick Drake Powell, while shipping out the No. 21 pick, a 2030 pick swap, Ron Holland II, Duncan Robinson, and Caris LeVert.
Regarding this deal for the Pistons, Buckley offered the following:
Detroit's needs are well-documented. Cade Cunningham has to find a co-star. This offensive spacing must be improved. There's basically a cap on how high this club can climb (at least in playoff terms) until those areas are addressed.
Adding Porter could be enormous for this offense, which might literally be one big boost away from cracking the contender ranks. Throw in Powell to help offset the sting of subtracting Holland—both are young, toolsy, defense-first wing prospects—and this could get a handshake from both sides.
As Buckley mentioned, everybody knows the Pistons have to find a running mate for Cunningham. It's hard to imagine the Pistons going further while relying on Cunningham almost exclusively.
Porter actually performed better than expected in 2025-26, so his trade value is probably as high as ever right now. Porter easily averaged a career-high in points as the top option for the first time, but it wasn't an empty stat line either. Porter shot 46% from the field and 36% from three, which is respectable given the volume.
The Pistons probably don't want to give up Holland, but they'd probably do it to get a player like Porter and they'd also get Powell in this deal, which would offset that loss even more. Losing Robinson and LeVert probably won't make the Pistons lose any sleep, either.
Will Pistons make a bold move during the draft?
I actually think a trade like this is likely. The Pistons really need to get more offense, and who at No. 21 would help as much and as quickly as Porter would?
Adding Porter also wouldn't be bad from a financial standpoint. Porter does carry a $40 million cap hit for 2026-27, but he's a free agent after that. If the experiment doesn't work next season, they can simply get off of Porter's money without losing a ton.
I do think the Pistons will be working the phones on draft night. The team wants to contend now, and I'm not sure they'll be in a position to draft an immediate impact rookie.