The Detroit Pistons saw their season end in heartbreaking fashion Thursday night at the hands of the New York Knicks. Obviously, the Pistons would have preferred their season to continue, but losing in the first round doesn’t change the fact that this was their most promising season in the last decade.
A No. 6 seed losing to the No. 3 seed is a pretty common tale—don’t tell the Los Angeles Lakers—but the Pistons definitely proved that they belonged in the playoffs. Their next task is capitalizing on such an excellent season.
How the Detroit Pistons Could Go on a Serious Playoff Run in 2026
It’s hard to say what the Pistons really did wrong during the 2024-25 season because the primary reason why they lost simply came down to inexperience. Even though the Knicks won the series in six games, the Pistons actually controlled the pace of most of those contests.
Because the Knicks knew what to do in a playoff atmosphere, they barely beat the Pistons in multiple games, one of which also came on a very controversial no-call that put them up 3-1. The Pistons should feel very confident about their roster going into the offseason, but here are three ways they could go on an even deeper run next season.
Get a star running mate next to Cade Cunningham
Cunningham ascended into an All-Star this year, no questions asked. The former No. 1 pick of the 2021 NBA Draft proved the Pistons were right to believe he is the future of the franchise. However, a sad reality about the playoffs is that it really does come down to star power.
Cunningham’s an exceptional talent. He’s good enough that the Pistons could have taken out the Knicks had it not been for fourth-quarter miscues. However, better teams than the Knicks have much more star power, so if the Pistons want to prove to their Eastern Conference competitors that they’re serious, pairing Cunningham with another franchise talent would do that.
As far as who that would be is another question. It could Zion Williamson, Kevin Durant, or maybe even Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Pistons would have competition for any of those three if they become available, but Detroit needs to send a message: they’ve arrived and they’re not going anywhere. Adding another franchise player conveys that message.
Get healthier as a team
What flew under the radar with this team was that they didn’t go into the playoffs with a full roster. While injuries happen and there’s nothing that can be done about them, the Pistons were missing two integral players entering the 2025 NBA Playoffs: Jaden Ivey and Isaiah Stewart.
If the Pistons had those two, that may have been enough to upset New York. If they return to the playoffs next season with the same roster, only healthier, there’s a solid chance they push themselves even further.
Detroit was definitely not 100% in this series, and if they enter the next season at full capacity, no one in the Eastern Conference will want to face them.
Re-Sign Pivotal Free Agents (at a Fair Price)
The Pistons played their cards right in the offseason (outside of maybe trading Quentin Grimes) and at the trade deadline, adding Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, and Paul Reed, among others.
All four will be free agents this season, and all four factored into why the Pistons took the major step up that they did. However, the Pistons need to be smart about it too. They shouldn’t overpay to keep this roster because it could get in the way of potential championship aspirations down the line.
That means to not shell out too much money to keep them or commit too many years to them. This Pistons team proved they had a good core and deserve to play more together. They shouldn’t see themselves at their final destination but just taking the necessary steps to become a title contender.
Detroit should not feel rushed to take that next step this offseason, as that has doomed teams in the past. However, they should feel fantastic about what the future holds for them after 16 years of outright mediocrity.
