Detroit Pistons

Dennis Schröder had an eventful 2025 NBA trade deadline.

Schröder initially opened the season with the Brooklyn Nets, but was traded to the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 14.

The point guard was then moved to the Utah Jazz as part of a multi-team trade headlined by Jimmy Butler becoming a member of the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. Finally, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Jazz were trading Schröder to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

Dennis Schröder has been traded 3 times in the past 24 hours 😳

The Pistons plan to keep him on their roster, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/CiirhWXhWo

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 6, 2025

He's expected to remain with Detroit, per NBA insider Chris Haynes.

Schröder started his 2024-25 campaign with the Nets on a high note, averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists in 33.6 minutes per game on 45.2/38.7/88.9 shooting splits.

He struggled to adjust to a Warriors lineup in which he wasn't asked to do as much with the ball in his hands. In 24 games with Golden State, Schröder averaged just 10.6 points and 4.4 assists in 26.2 minutes each night while shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from three-point territory.

Let it fly, Dennis ✨

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/yAlnXZShOu

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 30, 2025

He also owned a team-worst minus-9.6 net rating with the Warriors (via NBA.com).

Despite Golden State acquiring him from Brooklyn, another change of scenery didn't come as a large surprise. ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported Tuesday that Schröder was "available for trade."

The 31-year-old has been heavily involved on the trade market over the past few years. The Pistons are set to be the seventh team that Schröder will suit up for since the start of the 2020-21 season.

Now, he'll be expected to contribute on a Detroit squad that has exceeded expectations to begin its 2024-25 campaign and currently sits at No. 7 in the Eastern Conference standings with a 25-26 record.

Schröder's ball-handling and playmaking abilities should be useful on a Pistons bench averaging just 7.2 assists per game, which ranks No. 21 in the association.

After a busy trade deadline, the veteran guard will now help Detroit attempt to make its first playoff appearance since the 2018-19 season.

The Detroit Pistons are "considering" becoming buyers prior to the impending Feb. 6 trade deadline, per Jake Fischer for the Stein Line newsletter.

"It was once considered a certainty that Detroit would look to absorb other teams' contracts for draft capital, either in salary dumps or to help facilitate multi-team trades, since no other team has that much in-season cap space to use," Fischer wrote on Saturday. "Now the Pistons are considering the concept of becoming trade deadline buyers, according to league sources."

Fischer added that these "appear to be more preliminary and evaluative conversations — how any methodical and pragmatic front office would look at all the avenues that the market presents."

Furthermore, it doesn't appear as if the Pistons are swinging for the fences. Fischer said that rival teams don't have the impression Detroit wants to make a massive move, such as adding New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram.

Detroit went a league-worst 14-68 last season. The Pistons brought in a new regime led by president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Detroit brought in some veterans to shore up the roster in Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. to join a promising young core led by Cade Cunningham.

The results have been transformative, with Detroit ending the first half of the year with a 21-20 record. Not only is that good enough for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, but Detroit is a manageable two-and-a-half games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for fourth place.

So the Pistons are in the playoff mix. It's no surprise, then, that the Pistons want to strike now and take advantage of their phenomenal first-half turnaround.

As for potential additions, B/R's Greg Swartz suggested Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton as a realistic target. He also noted Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons as a dream target. Both were suggested with Pistons guard Jaden Ivey potentially out for the season with a broken fibula suffered on Jan. 7.

For now, though, the Pistons are in good shape for a play-in berth at worst with the roster it has, even though Ivey is a bitterly tough loss.

The Detroit Pistons solid start to the NBA season may limit the trade flexibility of other teams in the league.

Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that the Pistons' significant cap space could have made them a major candidate to take on "unwanted salary" from other teams making bigger deals at the deadline in exchange for draft capital. However, Detroit's start to the season may make the team less likely to use that space carelessly.

Across the league, teams have been considering the Pistons' current $14 million in salary cap space and whopping $44 million cushion below the luxury tax as "for rent" at the trade deadline. With trades in the apron era more complex, the Pistons had indeed left that space open to use to possibly acquire draft assets in return for taking on unwanted salary to facilitate bigger deals elsewhere.But with their team achieving a significant turnaround under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff -- Detroit went 14-68 last season, including a record-tying 28 straight losses -- the Pistons may not be so loose with that space after all. After winning eight of their past nine games, team sources say the Pistons are adjusting their thinking and may be more judicious with their valuable cap space as they consider their own roster upgrades and flexibility for next season.

The Pistons are currently 19-19 and sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. This is already a five-win improvement from 2023-24 and the team could be pushing for a postseason berth for the first time since 2018-19.

This turnaround has come in head coach J.B. Bickerstaff's first season and 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham has been a major reason why. He has averaged 24.3 points, 9.3 assists and 6.6 rebounds in 34 games. Other strong performers have been Jaden Ivey, Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris. Ivey, however, has been lost to a broken fibula and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Detroit has $44 million in cap space before the luxury tax but Cunningham will have his $224 million contract extension kick in after this season. While adding draft capital could be helpful, potentially limiting the team's spending power could be a detriment to the developing core.

Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a broken fibula, the team announced:

The @DetroitPistons today provided the following medical update on guard Jaden Ivey: pic.twitter.com/CdZmWs4uzK

— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) January 2, 2025

Ivey will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

The guard suffered the injury in Wednesday's 105-96 win over the Orlando Magic, while ESPN's Shams Charania first reported the diagnosis of a broken fibula.

Ivey, who had a team-high 22 points along with four assists, was stretchered off in the fourth quarter following a collision with the Magic's Cole Anthony.

Jaden Ivey left game in stretcher after apparent leg injury. Hope he's ok 🙏 pic.twitter.com/tBiVOScskm

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 2, 2025

Ivey took to social media after Charania's report, promising to "come back even better."

I promise to come back even better. The recovery starts now #DetroitBasketball https://t.co/gdafJvH7WS

— Jaden Ivey (@JadensIV) January 2, 2025

The concern for the 2022 first-round pick was apparent on the court and in what said after the game.

"It's tough on all of us," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per the Detroit News' Coty M. Davis. "No better teammate, person, than J.I. No one cares more about this thing than him. It's tough to see."

Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also called it "devastating."

"My prayers go out to him, and I hope he makes a full recovery and gets back healthy," he said. "Ivey is a great player. He was playing well tonight and unfortunately, that happened. We're all just praying for him."

The injury comes as Ivey was finding his groove in the Motor City following two inconsistent years to open his NBA career. Through 30 games, he was averaging 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists, and he was setting personal bests in field-goal percentage (46.0) and three-point percentage (40.9).

His development was a hugely positive sign for the Pistons, whose 15 wins already exceed their total from all of last year.

It's unclear how much time the 22-year-old will miss, but it's safe to assume he'll be out for most or all of what's left in the regular season. The focus for he and the Pistons will be on working toward his return in 2025-26.

Ivey has a $10.1 million club option before he's eligible for restricted free agency in 2026.

Detroit Pistons point guard Jaden Ivey was stretchered off during the Pistons' game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

Magic guard Cole Anthony dove for a loose ball and collided with Ivey's legs, causing Ivey to fall to the ground while clutching his left leg. He exited the court with his left leg wrapped.

Sending prayers to Jaden Ivey, who was stretchered off in the 4th quarter after suffering an apparent leg injury. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/mvaetcRgL7

— FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun (@FanDuelSN_FL) January 2, 2025

Both teams gathered around the stretcher as Ivey was loaded onto it and taken off the court.

Little Caesars Arena in Detroit went silent as fans watched the scene unfold, before breaking into chants of "Ivey" to show their support.

LCA chants “IVEY” as Jaden Ivey is helped onto stretcher after a scary ankle injury

Ivey left the game early in the 4th, : 8/11 22pts. pic.twitter.com/1HTGoylQYK

— Bruce (@thrownofff) January 2, 2025

Before his exit in the fourth quarter, Ivey played 27 minutes, recording 22 points, four assists and one steal.

Ahead of Wednesday's game, Ivey was having a career year with Detroit, averaging 17.4 points on 45.3 percent shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists, while knocking down 39 percent of his three-point attempts per game.

The 22-year-old was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Purdue and earned a starting spot with the Pistons in his rookie season, starting 73 games and playing in 74.

Basketball Hall of Famer and legendary Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas announced this week that he has been diagnosed with Bell's palsy.

Thomas broke the news during an appearance on Come And Talk 2 Me with former NBA star Mark Jackson (beginning at the 31:30 mark):

Bell's palsy is a neurological condition that causes temporary paralysis of muscles in the face, often leading to drooping of the eyes and mouth on one side of the face.

Several other prominent figures in the sports world have experienced Bell's palsy over the years, including Hall of Fame pro wrestling announcer Jim Ross, Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez and late Hall of Fame NBA guard "Pistol" Pete Maravich.

Most recently, Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid divulged during last season's NBA playoffs that he was dealing with Bell's palsy.

Thomas, 63, is widely regarded as one of the greatest guards in NBA history, and he has the résumé to back it up.

After winning a national championship at Indiana University, Thomas was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1981 NBA draft.

He went on to spend his entire 13-year NBA playing career with the Pistons, earning 12 All-Star selections, two NBA championships and one NBA Finals MVP Award.

Following his retirement as a player, Thomas served as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, as well as head coach at Florida International University for three seasons.

Additionally, Thomas held front office positions with the Toronto Raptors and Knicks, including a stint as the Knicks' president of basketball operations.

He later served as team president for the WNBA's New York Liberty from 2015 to 2019, and he did some work in broadcasting as well.

Thomas is part of the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams, cementing his status as one of the top players in the history of the game.

Detroit Pistons' forward Tim Hardaway Jr. left the team's matchup against the Miami Heat on Tuesday after suffering a scary injury.

In the third quarter of the NBA Cup meeting, Hardaway took a blow to the head from Miami's Bam Adebayo while on defense. After falling to the ground, he tried to defend a layup from Tyler Herro and once again took a hard hit to the head.

He exited the matchup in a wheelchair.

The wheelchair comes out for Tim Hardaway Jr., who took two hard hits to the head on the same possession. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/hcbqeoEbML

— HEAT on FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSN_Heat) November 13, 2024

NBA insider Chris Haynes provided more on the injury after the game, reporting that Hardaway's CAT scan came back negative and he'll get stitches where he took an elbow to the face and where the back of his head hit the court.

A timeline for Hardaway's return to the court is still unclear.

Hardaway had 11 points in 19 minutes before leaving the game. The veteran has had a solid year so far, averaging 12.6 points, 2.1 assists and 1.7 rebounds while shooting a scorching-hot 47 percent from three-point range.

Hardaway joined the Pistons this offseason when the Dallas Mavericks traded him for shooting guard Quentin Grimes. He spent the last six seasons with the Mavs, serving an integral role as Dallas reached the NBA Finals a year ago as he averaged 14.4 points, 3.2 boards and 1.8 assists.

The Pistons have started the year 4-7 with Tuesday marking their first NBA Cup game of the season. While winning four out of 11 games to start the season isn't exactly great, it's a major step up from last season when Detroit didn't win its fourth game until January.

After a meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, Detroit will square off with the Toronto Raptors for another NBA Cup matchup.

Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff says he has an "old-school mentality" toward his new team's dress code due to growing up with his father, former 10-season NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff.

That's why players can no longer pull the hoods of their sweatshirts over their heads during warmups, according to The Athletic's Joe Vardon.

"Just the last shred of that old-school mentality," Bickerstaff said, per Vardon. "Just growing up with my dad, you don't wear anything on your head during the game. You don't wear jewelry. You practice how you play."

The Pistons, coming out of a franchise-worst 14-68 record last season, are so far 2-2 in the 2024-25 preseason under Bickerstaff.

According to Vardon, the change is part of the Pistons' new effort to take the burden off of 23-year-old guard Cade Cunningham as the team's de facto leader.

Those adjustments have so far included the new practice dress code as well as upping the difficulty of conditioning drills, per Vardon.

"The conversations that I've had with Cade, the way that I see how his teammates follow him and the way that he engages his teammates, he wants to be amongst the elites and understands that winning matters in order to be respected by your peers in that way... If we're going to get to where we want to go with this group, we have to develop everybody and help everybody be able to play with that confidence," Bickerstaff said, per Vardon.

Bickerstaff, who has previously served as head coach of the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, most recently coached the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers were a 19-win team before Bickerstaff took over in 2020, and it took him three seasons to lead the team back into the playoffs while helping develop the careers of young players like Collin Sexton, Darius Garland and Dante Exum.

He was dismissed from the team after the injury-ridden Cavaliers were eliminated from the second round by the eventual champion Boston Celtics.

Bickerstaff told reporters during his introductory press conference in July that his experience in Cleveland, where he led the team to a 170-159 record in the regular season and 6-11 mark in the playoffs, would help him rebuild the Pistons.

"We can speak on history, we can speak on experience, coming from a situation where we went through this exact same process," Bickerstaff said (h/t Madeline Kenney of The Detroit News.)

The Pistons are now hoping Bickerstaff can help guide the early careers of the roster's young starters including Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, and Jaden Ivey.

In Cleveland, Bickerstaff emphasized that process started with the team's culture. It seems the same process is now underway in Detroit.

Looking to drum up excitement for the 2024-25 season, the Detroit Pistons called in the services of hip-hop star Big Sean to reveal their jerseys with a StockX patch.

The Pistons posted an image of Big Sean wearing the jersey with the patch on the left side of the chest, along with a video highlight package spotlighting their presenting sponsor.

Cut from a different cloth. @BigSean | @stockx pic.twitter.com/MNRyYw0fbc

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) September 25, 2024

New patch partner just got verified.#DetroitBasketball × @stockx pic.twitter.com/664sdQOKKt

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) September 25, 2024

The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov reported on Wednesday the Pistons and StockX agreed to a multiyear partnership deal starting with the upcoming season.

StockX is an online marketplace that allows consumers to buy and sell items, primarily clothing and sneakers for men, women and children. The E-commerce store was co-founded in 2015 by a group of four people, including Cleveland Cavaliers governor Dan Gilbert.

Actor Mark Wahlberg and Grammy-winning rapper Eminem are among the people who invested in the startup back in 2017. The business headquarters are located in Detroit.

Big Sean, whose family moved to Detroit soon after he was born, was hired by the Pistons as creative director of innovation in December 2020. His responsibilities include providing creative counsel and guidance on various off-court initiatives for the franchise.

The Pistons added Big Sean's "Don Life" logo to their practice jerseys as part of the deal.

Imagine being from Detroit n having the Pistons put yo logo on the jerseys like this!! Lets gooo my boyz! #DonLife 🌍 pic.twitter.com/ldIdpl5G2w

— Sean Don (@BigSean) August 27, 2022

The Pistons are entering into a new era under first-year head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. They have been in complete disarray recently with 23 or fewer wins in each of the past five seasons, including a franchise-worst 14-68 record last season.

Bickerstaff is taking over after a successful five-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He posted winning records in each of the past three seasons, with back-to-back playoff appearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

The Pistons will hold their first media day of the 2024-25 season on Monday before tipping off the preseason against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 6. They will open the regular season on Oct. 23 against the Indiana Pacers at Little Caesar's Arena.

The Detroit Pistons just endured their worst season in franchise history after going 14-68, including an NBA-record 28-game losing streak and a 1-35 stretch from Oct. 30, 2023 to Jan. 12, 2024.

Detroit finished bottom five in offensive and defensive efficiency as the team rostered 31 different players, with 18 of them entering the starting lineup at some point. Only two (Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser) played more than 63 games.

After a .500 record resulted in a 2019 playoff appearance, the Pistons have won just 94 games and lost 290 over five seasons. That stretch includes four straight last-place finishes and the league's worst win-loss mark each of the last two years.

With 2023-24 representing Detroit's all-time nadir, the Pistons opted for new leadership by parting ways with general manager Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams, who came aboard on a six-year, $78.5 million contract before the campaign.

Former New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon is now leading basketball operations, and ex-Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is running the sidelines.

The Pistons really have nowhere to go but up at this point. At the very least, the team can hope for some stability, consistency and continuity as it strives for brighter days.

Here's a look at the team's 2024-25 schedule, its top matchups and a quick outlook and prediction on the upcoming year.

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2024-25 Pistons Schedule Details

Season Opener: vs. Indiana Pacers, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. ET

Championship Odds: 1000-1 ($100 bet wins $100,000), per FanDuel

Full Schedule: The full schedule is available on NBA.com.

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Top Matchups

Any game the Pistons play against the bottom half of the Eastern Conference should be considered a top matchup. Based on last year's standings, that's the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.

There appears to be a rather large chasm between the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference and the bottom seven. Last year, the eighth-place Miami Heat finished 46-36, seven games ahead of the 39-43 Chicago Bulls in ninth.

It's possible the ninth through 15th place teams all stay put in the bottom half of the East standings again. Chicago lost its best player (DeMar DeRozan), as did the Brooklyn Nets (Mikal Bridges). Atlanta lost its second-best (or best, depending on who you ask) player in Dejounte Murray.

The 15-67 Washington Wizards may end up being the NBA's worst team. The Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors may have the best chance to move up given their collection of young talent, which should develop and improve. But it's still a long way to the top eight, which features a host of teams looking to win the East.

So where does that leave the Pistons? Well, it's not out of the question that they can compete for a play-in spot, which is ridiculous on the surface given Detroit's struggles but not implausible given the team's roster improvements.

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Season Forecast

The Pistons have been the worst team in the NBA for the past two years.

Expect that to change in 2024-25. In fact, Detroit will finish closer to a play-in spot than last place.

A new front office and coach should provide a new perspective and a breath of fresh air in town. Detroit should hopefully get a fully healthy season out of superstar Cade Cunningham, now the owner of a five-year max deal. All the younger talent should improve after an offseason, including Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson. This year's lottery pick, Ron Holland, should provide an infusion of energy off the bench.

Plus, there's some veterans who should at least improve the roster top-down. The Pistons have welcomed ex-Philadelphia 76ers Tobias Harris and Paul Reed and a couple of wings in Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. None of them are superstars, but they are all solid players in their own right who should make the team far more competitive.

Ultimately, there's enough to be optimistic about here to avoid pencilling them in for a last-place finish. Look for them to be in the mix for a play-in berth and finally create some positive momentum going forward.

Record Prediction: 28-54, 12th in East