Detroit Pistons

Attempting to acquire one of the Detroit Pistons' top young players is a nonstarter for the team, according to The Athletic's James L. Edwards III.

Edwards reported Thursday the Pistons consider Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren "as their blue-chip pieces moving forward." To that end, they aren't entertaining offers for any of the four.

This season has been a disaster for Detroit. It has the NBA's worst record (5-39) and set the mark for the longest losing streak in a single season at 28 games.

That hasn't stopped the front office from thinking aggressively.

The Pistons were rumored to be in the hunt for Pascal Siakam, who got traded to the Indiana Pacers. Edwards reported the Atlanta Hawks had reached out to gauge the interest level in a Dejounte Murray swap, with the Chicago Bulls doing the same on Zach LaVine.

Thanks to dealing Marvin Bagley III, Detroit can have around $78 million in salary cap space this summer. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported in December that Siakam, OG Anunoby, Tobias Harris and Miles Bridges were some prospective targets, though that outlook has evolved with Anunoby changing teams along with Siakam.

Maybe general manager Troy Weaver feels a little added pressure to make significant upgrades earlier than expected because of how badly the year has gone. But it would be a mistake to speed up the franchise's timeline too much.

Cunningham is averaging 22.8 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds, and his three-point shooting has improved from 30.9 percent through his first two seasons to 33.5 percent. Duren, who only turned 20 in November, is averaging a double-double (14.0 points and 11.3 rebounds). Ivey and Thompson are works in progress but offer plenty of promise.

The Pistons seem to have a foundation on which to build, and it's simply too early to conclude otherwise.

The Detroit Pistons are acquiring Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala from the Washington Wizards for Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Livers and a pair of second-round picks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Detroit moves Bagley’s contract ($12.5M in 2024-2025) for two future second-round picks. Livers ($1.8M), Gallinari ($6.8M) and Muscala ($3.5M) are on expiring contracts. https://t.co/qRnVfR6JbJ

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 14, 2024

In Wizards-Pistons deal today, Detroit created a $5.7 million trade exception and Washington created a $3.5M trade exception, per sources. https://t.co/xJXqA8LJcV

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 15, 2024

Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers saying goodbye to their teammates. You don’t see this kind of immediate reaction too often in pro sports. pic.twitter.com/JFPU7EeWRx

— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) January 14, 2024

The Wizards and Pistons are the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference with 10 combined wins between them. By adding a pair of veterans, it looks as though Detroit is at least aiming to get a small boost in the short term.

Gallinari and Muscala could specifically address what has been a persistent problem for the Pistons. They're averaging the fewest three-point makes (10.6) and have the third-worst three-point percentage (34.4) in the NBA.

Gallinari, who missed all of 2022-23 due to a torn ACL, is only hitting 31.3 percent of his threes, but he's a proven stretch 4 and a much better shooter than Bagley or Livers. The same is broadly true of Muscala, who sports a 27.5 percent clip from deep this year but is a career 37.5 percent three-point shooter.

The two second-rounders might be the biggest part of the haul on Washington's side.

Bagley's 18.4 minutes per game are a career low. He had five straight games without suiting up before getting on the floor for Friday's 112-110 loss to the Houston Rockets. At this point, the ship has sailed on the 2018 No. 2 overall pick making a breakthrough.

Livers, meanwhile, is averaging 5.0 points and 2.1 rebounds through 23 appearances. He has also shot just 34.5 percent from the floor.

The draft picks at least give the Wizards something to flip down the road, or they can be utilized to fill out the roster.

For Detroit, finances probably drove this trade more than any other factor, though.

Gallinari and Muscala are both impending free agents, and now the Pistons are no longer on the hook for Bagley's $12.5 million salary in 2024-25.

Shedding the Marvin Bagley II contract for next season has Detroit with a projected $64M in room.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 14, 2024

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported on Jan. 5 that Detroit was among the suitors for Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam. On Thursday, Fischer included the team in the list of interested parties in Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

The Pistons have added flexibility to give Siakam a max contract in the offseason or assume the four-year, $114 million extension Murray signed with the Hawks.

According to Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill, something big could be coming down the pike:

The Pistons are acquiring Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari from the Wizards for Marvin Bagley and Isaiah Livers along with two second round picks, sources tell @YahooSports. Woj first on the news.

“First step”, high ranking source says

— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) January 14, 2024

Especially when the Pistons already had plenty of frontcourt depth, it wouldn't be shocking if both Gallinari and Muscala only have a brief stay in the Motor City.

The Detroit Pistons announced Tuesday that star point guard Cade Cunningham will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days after suffering a knee injury.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), the team said that Cunningham underwent an MRI that showed the injury Monday after going down in the second quarter of Sunday's 131-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Cunningham had played in all 36 of the Pistons' games this season, but he is guaranteed to miss Tuesday's home clash with the Sacramento Kings.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft missed all but 12 games last season due to a shin injury, but he came into 2023-24 healthy, and he is enjoying his best individual year as an NBA player.

Through 36 games, Cunningham is averaging a career-high 22.8 points, 7.3 assists and 1.9 three-pointers made per contest to go along with 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 steal.

He is also shooting a career-best 44.9 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc after largely being an inefficient shooter over his first two seasons.

While Cunningham has performed at close to an All-Star level, it has not translated into much team success for the Pistons.

Detroit is a league-worst 3-33 this season, including an NBA-record 28-game losing streak from Oct. 30 until Dec. 30 when it escaped with a 129-127 home win against the Toronto Raptors.

After that victory, the Pistons went on a four-game road trip and lost every game, but Tuesday's tilt with Sacramento will be their first of three home games in a row.

While losing their best player is far from an ideal scenario for a Pistons team that is already struggling, it should open up more playing time for a pair of young, promising guards in 2022 No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey and 2023 No. 25 overall pick Marcus Sasser.

Veteran Alec Burks and fourth-year guard Killian Hayes will be tasked with taking on a greater workload in the backcourt as well until Cunningham returns.

Not a lot has gone right for the Detroit Pistons this season, but at least they reportedly don't have to worry about a long-term injury for Cade Cunningham.

According to Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, the guard "avoided any serious injury to his left knee" and "could miss at least a few games" despite the overall prognosis being a "sigh of relief for Detroit."

Cunningham exited Sunday's loss to the Denver Nuggets after just 11 minutes and did not return.

While he has appeared in all 36 games for Detroit this season, any setback is going to be a concern after he played just 12 games in 2022-23 because of a left shin fracture that required surgery. The 22-year-old is the franchise cornerstone, so keeping him healthy is one of the team's top priorities during what is shaping up to be a lost season.

Fortunately for both him and the Pistons, it doesn't appear this setback will be as serious as last season's.

Cunningham has been a bright spot for the 3-33 Pistons and is averaging 22.8 points, 7.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from deep.

He is someone who could be an All-Star for years to come and at least provides a level of optimism for the worst team in the league.

While Cunningham is sidelined, the Pistons could give a larger role to Marcus Sasser. The rookie played 11 minutes in the game against Denver, which was the first time since Dec. 21 he was on the court for more than 10 minutes.

Next up for Detroit is a home game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.

The Detroit Pistons' historic 28-game losing streak might be over, but Pistons players won't forget about it any time soon.

"This has been one of the most humbling experiences for me in my life, just as far as grounding myself and knowing that there's still so much work to do," Pistons guard Cade Cunningham told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski Friday on "The Woj Pod."

Full audio of Detroit’s Cade Cunningham on The Woj Pod: https://t.co/qkza2jsQtA pic.twitter.com/i3Lt5M20sq

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 5, 2024

"I felt like, even just as an individual, something like this could never happen to me," Cunningham said. "I felt like I was so good, I couldn't do that. I've understood, and I realized, it takes more than getting your own. It takes more than feeling good about your game."

"I had to figure out how to make the game easier for my teammates, I had to figure out how to apply the system coach had in place to my teammates, and how to make us all better. There are still a lot of things to learn, for me and the whole team."

The Pistons beat the Toronto Raptors 129-127 on Dec. 30 at home, coming one game shy of setting a new NBA record for the most consecutive losses ever recorded.

Cunningham had 30 points and 12 assists during that victory.

The losing streak was difficult for a young star who previously said his goal is to "be a great leader" for the Pistons, per ESPN's Eric Woodyard.

"To continue to try to bring it, and encourage the team, encourage the group to win this game, to have the energy up, and it still not go your way— over time, after so many games, it's hard to keep it going," Cunningham told Wojnarowski.

"Being a leader, you can't take days off. You have to keep it going. I think that's the main thing that I learned, is just a lot about myself and how much I want it, for me and for the team, and what it takes to continue to be solid for the group even when things aren't going your way."

Cunningham, who was limited by injury to 12 games last season, was hoping for a bounce-back campaign for both himself and the team in 2023-24.

Despite Cunningham averaging a career-best 23.2 points and 7.5 assists per game, including two 40-balls during the team's historic losing streak, the Pistons have just three wins through 34 games.

They are now on track to finish within the bottom three in the league for the third consecutive time since selecting Cunningham with the first overall pick of the 2021 draft.

"I think the last two weeks we played good basketball, we put ourselves in a lot of games, gave ourselves shots to win, the ball just hasn't gone our way a few times," Cunningham. "We're just going to keep going. The season's not ended. The league's not going anywhere. Can't run from these games, they're on the schedule. You've got to keep going."

"It's definitely tough, knowing how bad our city wants it, and we're just not there yet. It definitely sparks that fire, to want to see it through to the other side and win for them."

The Pistons will look for wins against other league-bottom teams over the coming weeks, as they face the 5-29 San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 10 followed by a Jan. 15 contest against the 6-27 Washington Wizards.

The Detroit Pistons won for the first time since Oct. 28 on Saturday, which was quite an emotional moment for head coach Monty Williams.

"I've been in a ton of locker rooms my whole life, but that's a first for me," he told reporters. "Guys were screaming. I was almost in tears. I'm just so happy for our guys and for everyone in the locker room."

The 129-127 victory over the Toronto Raptors ended a 28-game losing streak, which was already a single-season NBA record. It tied the Philadelphia 76ers' mark of 28 straight losses, which they set across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.

Cade Cunningham notched a double-double of 30 points, 12 assists and three rebounds as he continues to be a bright spot for a team that has been the worst in the league this season. It was his third straight game with at least 30 points, and he is averaging 25.2 points, 7.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game in December.

Next up for the Pistons is a road game against the Houston Texans, which is their first of four straight away from home against Western Conference opponents.

Perhaps they can even start a winning streak, but at least Williams can take solace that they avoided surpassing the 76ers for complete NBA history.

The Detroit Pistons historic losing streak has come to an end.

After losing 28-straight games, the Pistons finally got back in the win column with a 129-127 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. It's the Pistons first win since Oct. 28. Cade Cunningham led the way for the Pistons with 30 points and 12 assists.

The Pistons came close to ending the streak earlier this week, taking the Boston Celtics into overtime, but ultimately couldn't get it done. Against a Raptors team who was without OG Anunoby, who was traded on Saturday, Detroit was able to get it done.

After the Pistons finally snapped the streak, NBA fans rejoiced on social media.

Do you believe in miracles????

YES!!!!!!!!!

— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) December 31, 2023

THEY DID IT 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

— Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) December 31, 2023

https://twitter.com/HowardBeck/status/1741272553316815189

Every Wingstop in Detroit: pic.twitter.com/lZRCfxZkU6

— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) December 31, 2023

#DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/98KZjtGNpX

— Tom Kinslow (@TomKinslow) December 31, 2023

Detroit Pistons fans right now knowing they can finally get their free WingStop orders pic.twitter.com/Kdiqnth9RD

— b (@boofiq) December 31, 2023

The Detroit Pistons have won a basketball game pic.twitter.com/LII31OCa2l

— 𝔰𝔩𝔢𝔢𝔨𝔶 ✨ (@yosleeky) December 31, 2023

PISTONS THEY DID IT THEY FINALLY DID IT 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/1rCt152g0j

— 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗟𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗡 🕷️ (@LaRespectful_23) December 31, 2023

PISTONS WIN

— Araujo vuelve a tu país (@ByJokic) December 31, 2023

CADE PARKER CUNNINGHAM YOU ARE HIM!

— Hopeful Pistons Fan (@Tcprodd1) December 31, 2023

the Pistons… are actually gonna do it ?? pic.twitter.com/muIBYp1kuq

— A ✩ (@adryanashton) December 31, 2023

"MVP MVP MVP" 🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/xjoQqybJ0a

— Pistons France 🇫🇷 (@PistonsNationFR) December 31, 2023

PISTONS pic.twitter.com/zCKCFtpldx

— jesus curry (@mpknowsball) December 31, 2023

https://twitter.com/StormingB81/status/1741269798024040729

THE PISTONS ACTUALLY WON?? pic.twitter.com/ixIROD8Dz8

— William (@William64025895) December 31, 2023

THE DETROIT PISTONS WON A GAME pic.twitter.com/GLhfTrhh6h

— Evan Fox (@evanfoxy) December 31, 2023

DETROIT PISTONS FANS WE HAVE A NEW BANNER LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/v63HZsJAtN

— Kofie (@Kofie) December 31, 2023

The Pistons might not be on their way to the NBA Finals, but snapping the dreadful streak is a step in the right direction. Now Detroit heads into the New Year riding the momentum of its first win since October and the Pistons are looking to start a new streak of wins.

If Cade Cunningham gets tired of playing for the 2-29 Detroit Pistons, former NBA center Dwight Howard is ready for the 2021 No. 1 pick to join him overseas.

"Taiwan is calling," Howard wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to a post about Cunningham and the Pistons.

Howard, the former No. 1 pick of the 2004 draft, joined the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League in Taiwan following his final 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Taiwan is calling 📞 https://t.co/UGFTD9gaHK pic.twitter.com/EgPP6jidVm

— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) December 29, 2023

The previous day Howard suggested alternatives to the Pistons lineup that would replace current players with himself and other former NBA stars, including Michael Beasley and DeMarcus Cousins.

You know who would win them some games lol …IT, John Wall, Michael Beasley, Demarcus, Me

Bench: Do, Kemba, Lance, Blake, Tako https://t.co/yJjRadwnmJ pic.twitter.com/CcPhkH7ImC

— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) December 28, 2023

The Pistons lost their 28th straight game in overtime Thursday night to the Boston Celtics on the road.

The Detroit team is now tied with the Philadelphia 76ers, who put up that many losses between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, for the longest losing streak in NBA history despite Cunningham averaging 23.3 points per game.

Having tied the NBA record with 28 consecutive losses, the Detroit Pistons aren't necessarily looking to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline.

Per The Athletic's James L. Edwards III, the Pistons have "no plans" to trade Bojan Bogdanović unless they get an offer too good to refuse.

On the one hand, the idea of a team waiting for the best offer before deciding to trade a player is pretty standard fare in all sports.

On the other hand, Edwards noted the Pistons "want to be good and don't want to trade good players" right now.

Bogdanović is one of the few good players on Detroit's roster right now. He's also signed to a team-friendly deal that allows the Pistons to avoid having to move him for financial reasons.

The 34-year-old is making $20 million this season with a $2 million partial guarantee for next season. His 2024-25 salary becomes fully guaranteed for $19 million on June 29.

Thursday's 128-122 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics was the 28th consecutive defeat for the Pistons. They own the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history. They are tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the longest losing streak, but the Sixers did it over two seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

It would seem to make sense for the Pistons to at least shop Bogdanović ahead of the trade deadline. His age probably doesn't fit a realistic timeline for Detroit to become a playoff contender again.

Of course, based on Edwards' reporting of the team wanting to be good, it doesn't sound like the front office is acknowledging this roster is that far away from contention despite having a 2-29 record.

The Pistons invested heavily in Monty Williams as their head coach by signing him to a six-year, $78.5 million deal in May. The contract made him the highest-paid head coach in NBA history until Gregg Popovich got an $80 million extension from the San Antonio Spurs in July.

Bogdanović missed the first 19 games this season due to a calf injury. He made his season debut on Dec. 2 and has appeared in 12 straight games. The veteran forward has played well with 19.7 points per game on 45.6 percent shooting.

The Detroit Pistons are getting closer to winning a game, but their historic losing streak continued after a 128-122 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Cade Cunningham expressed optimism that a breakthrough is coming for the team sooner than later:

"That's what we're going for, man. I'm not interested in just winning one more game this year, to stop this. That would be soft, in my opinion. I think our goals are a lot higher than that. We have what it takes to win a game. That's nothing. But to put games together and to find our system, find what's clicking and allow us to sustain winning ... that's what we're looking for right now."

The Pistons entered the game as 17.5-point underdogs against a Celtics team with the NBA's best record.

Detroit came out ready to bring the fight to Boston. It led by as many as 21 points in the first half and took a 66-47 lead into the break.

The lead was gone by the end of the third quarter when the Celtics outscored the Pistons 35-16. They were able to force overtime when Bojan Bogdanović's tip-in with 4.1 seconds remaining in regulation tied the game at 108.

Boston eventually pulled away in the overtime period to secure the victory. The Pistons have been competitive in each of the past five losses, with four of them coming by eight points or fewer.

Ultimately, though, all that matters is the Pistons have lost 28 consecutive games and are still trying to get over the hump. They're now tied with the Philadelphia 76ers, who also dropped 28 straight games across two seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16, for the longest losing streak in NBA history.

Cunningham is doing all he can to get the Pistons a win. He scored 31 points against the Celtics and is averaging 33 points, 7.4 assists and 5.8 rebounds per contest in the past five games.

Detroit's next opportunity to end the losing streak is against the Toronto Raptors at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday at Dec. 30.