Examining Pistons' Salary Cap, Decisions for 2025 NBA Free Agency After Loss to Knicks

The Detroit Pistons made the playoffs proper after not doing so since the 2018-19 NBA season. While Detroit landed at the bottom of the playoff field, avoiding the play-in tournament the 2024-25 season has to be viewed as a success.

Led by new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and standouts Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris, the Pistons were one of this year's biggest feel-good stories.

Normally, a mere playoff appearance wouldn't warrant accolades, but we're talking about a team that had the league's worst record a year ago.

The future is as bright in Detroit as it has been in some time, and now that the Pistons' run has ended, it's time for Bickerstaff and team president Trajan Langdon to start preparing for the 2025-26 season.

Let's dive into Detroit's cap situation, top pending contract decisions and potential free-agent targets for the upcoming offseason.

The Pistons—and their fans—should feel very good about where the team currently stands. Not only is Detroit set to have key players like Cunningham, Harris, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren under contract next season, but it should also have a ton of financial flexibility this offseason.

The Pistons are projected to be $67.5 million below the first luxury-tax apron and $79.4 million below the ultra-restrictive second apron. If Langdon feels that his team is ready to take the proverbial next step, he can afford to chase another star on the free-agent or trade markets.

Detroit's first-round pick is set to go to the Minnesota Timberwolves—it was top-13 protected—which is actually a good thing for the Pistons. They'll now be able to trade their 2027, 2029 and 2031 picks if they choose.

A trade could be in the cards—Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus listed Michael Porter Jr., Cam Johnson and Miles Bridges as potential targets back in March—though, Landgon is unlikely to part with valuable draft capital until/unless his team is on the cusp of title contention.

The Pistons have an opportunity to continue building their younger core, but they'll have two big extension decisions to make this summer.

Duren will be extension-eligible this summer and could potentially draw substantial trade interest. According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha (h/t Bryan Toporek of Silver Screen and Roll), the Los Angeles Lakers "inquired" about Duren ahead of the in-season trade deadline.

Jaden Ivey will also be eligible for an extension this offseason, though the broken fibula he suffered in January could complicate matters—the 23-year-old was only cleared to resume basketball activities in early April.

Additionally, the Pistons have five players set to be unrestricted free agents, including Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley and Schröder. Beasley, who led the team in games played while averaging over 15.0 points, might be the top priority out of that group.

Daniss Jenkins, who is on a two-way contract, is set to be a restricted free agent.

The Pistons are projected to be a top-three team in terms of practical cap space, so the big question is whether they're one piece away from true contention. The problem is that Detroit is looking to pair a legitimate second star with Cunningham, it's going to find few options on the open market.

Myles Turner and Naz Reid could become top targets if the Pistons don't give Duren a substantial extension. Pairing one of the two with Duren and Isaiah Stewart could also be an option since depth isn't exactly a bad thing.

Pincus paired Reid with the Pistons in his March free-agent predictions:

"Reid could augment current big men Jalen Duran and Isaiah Stewart, or he could make Stewart expendable. However, depth is not a negative for a franchise looking to turn this year's playoff run into an annual event."

If the Pistons are comfortable with what they have at center, they may instead look to augment their power-forward rotation—Harris will be a free agent in 2026.

If Detroit goes the latter route, players like John Collins (player option), Taurean Prince and Chris Boucher could all be on the team's radar.

*Cap and contract information via Spotrac.