The Detroit Pistons appear to be gearing up to make big moves this offseason as they look to return to the top of the NBA.
NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes they could even emerge as contenders for LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard as they look to take advantage of their cap space.
NBA Insider Claims Pistons May Pursue LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard
Detroit could have close to $30 million in cap space after trading Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies in a cost-cutting move. The deal has the Pistons well-positioned in their bid to build a competitive roster ahead of next season.
Windhorst claimed during the 2026 NBA Draft that Detroit should not be discounted from the Leonard and James sweepstakes after missing out on Austin Reaves, who chose to sign an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“They already had about $30 million in salary cap space. The Lakers increased their offer over the last 24 hours to get this deal done with Austin Reaves. Why? … Because they knew there was a chance that Detroit was going to open up space,” Windhorst said.
Windhorst added that the Pistons have salary-cap flexibility to pursue bigger names, given the number of talented young players on their roster who helped them secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season.
“What if they go big-game hunting? What if they check on the availability of Kawhi Leonard? We’re not quite sure whether he’s going to extend his contract in LA or be traded. What if they look at some of the bigger names that could be out there? Heck, they’ve cleared enough open space they can call LeBron James if they wanted to. … Detroit is setting themselves up to be one of the stories of this offseason after falling short when they needed more scoring and creating in the playoffs last season,” Windhorst added.
Absolutely love Brian Windhorst & Bobby Marks breaking down the Detroit Pistons salary cap situation & how the Isaiah Stewart frees up cap space to now go trade for a potential star, and I would like to add my analysis in:
• This is sort of like a quarterback situation where… pic.twitter.com/aKZU4Cvhmh
— BKS Sports (@BKSecretsports) June 25, 2026
It is unclear whether the Ohio-born James would want to play in Detroit, while Leonard may not want to leave sunny California for the harsh Michigan winters.
Other players mentioned as potential Pistons targets include Norman Powell, Collin Sexton, and Anfernee Simons.
It is clear that Detroit needs to upgrade its 3-point shooting and find a secondary playmaker to take some of the pressure off of Cade Cunningham. With the Pistons in a win-now situation and looking to be aggressive, an exciting summer awaits Detroit fans.
