The Detroit Pistons were one of the best surprises in the NBA last season. The Pistons finally made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, and it got the entire fan base excited for the future. The team was led by guard Cade Cunningham, who was selected in his first All-Star game appearance. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists on 46.9% shooting from the field.
Under Cunningham’s leadership, the Pistons secured the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference and challenged the New York Knicks to six games in the opening round of the postseason. Although they were eliminated, it showed a bright future ahead of him.
For next season, Cunningham and the Pistons are expected to have an even better run. But no one knows how deep their run is going to be.
With the Eastern Conference expected to be wide open next season, the Pistons are predicted to have an even better campaign. According to the projection that Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz made, Detroit could finish in the top three in the conference.
“If all goes right with the Detroit Pistons, this can be the third-best team in the Eastern Conference. For a franchise that finished an NBA-worst 14-48 just two years ago, that’s a remarkable turnaround,” Swartz wrote.
“Cade Cunningham should be an All-Star lock for the next decade. Ausar Thompson is already an outstanding defender at age 22 and Jalen Duren is coming off back-to-back seasons averaging a double-double and is still just 21.”
According to Swartz, the only question for the Detroit Pistons is how Jaden Ivey will perform when he returns from injury next season. Nevertheless, the team is expected to have a grand year.
“The Pistons aren’t a title contender yet, but could get there quickly with one blockbuster-ish trade.”
The Detroit Pistons are expected to re-sign Malik Beasley
One of the players who helped the Detroit Pistons last season was veteran shooter Malik Beasley. Ahead of the offseason, he was expected to sign a three-year, $42 million contract with the team. However, a federal gambling investigation that was centered around him has shut down any idea of him having that kind of money anymore.
Even with that, Beasley is still a potential target for Detroit. Only this time, he’ll sign a $7.2 million contract, far from the projected payday he reported before free agency started.
“Malik Beasley may have a few suitors at the minimum, but Detroit makes too much sense, as the team isn’t near the luxury-tax threshold, has a roster spot and can pay him up to $7.2 million,” Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus wrote.
Although it’s not the money that he expected before summer, it will still benefit him to stay active and increase his value.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
