BOS DET DET MIA DET PHI DET NYK CHA DET DET BKN DET CHA PHI DET LAL DET WAS DETHead Coach
J.B. Bickerstaff
Assistant Coach
Trainer
Founded
1948
City
Detroit
Arena
Little Caesars Arena
G-League
Motor City Cruise
Governor(s)
Tom Gores
General Manager
Trajan Langdon
| Player | # | POS | Height | Weight | Birthdate | Age | Exp | School | How Acquired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ugonna Onyenso | — | C | 6-11 | 225 lbs | Sep 25, 2004 | 21 | R | Virginia | Draft Rights Traded from NYK on 06/24/26 |
| Ebuka Okorie | — | G | 6-2 | 185 lbs | Apr 10, 2007 | 19 | R | Stanford | Draft Rights Traded from MEM on 06/24/26 |
| Jalen Duren | 0 | C | 6-10 | 250 lbs | Nov 18, 2003 | 22 | 4 | Memphis | Draft Rights Traded from NYK on 07/06/22 |
| Cade Cunningham | 2 | G | 6-6 | 220 lbs | Sep 25, 2001 | 24 | 5 | Oklahoma State | #1 Pick in 2021 Draft |
| Isaac Jones | 3 | F | 6-8 | 245 lbs | Jul 11, 2000 | 26 | 2 | Washington State | Awarded on Waivers on 11/06/25 |
| Ronald Holland II | 5 | F | 6-8 | 206 lbs | Jul 07, 2005 | 21 | 2 | NBA G League Ignite | #5 Pick in 2024 Draft |
| Paul Reed | 7 | F | 6-9 | 210 lbs | Jun 14, 1999 | 27 | 6 | DePaul | Awarded on Waivers on 07/09/24 |
| Ausar Thompson | 9 | G-F | 6-7 | 205 lbs | Jan 30, 2003 | 23 | 3 | Overtime Elite | #5 Pick in 2023 Draft |
| Isaiah Joe | 11 | G | 6-4 | 165 lbs | Jul 02, 1999 | 27 | 6 | Arkansas | Traded from OKC on 07/06/26 |
| Gary Harris | 11 | G | 6-4 | 210 lbs | Sep 14, 1994 | 31 | 12 | Michigan State | Traded from MIL on 07/08/26 |
| Taurean Prince | 12 | F | 6-6 | 218 lbs | Mar 22, 1994 | 32 | 10 | Baylor | Traded from MIL on 07/08/26 |
| Wendell Moore Jr. | 14 | G | 6-5 | 215 lbs | Sep 18, 2001 | 24 | 4 | Duke | Signed on 11/10/25 |
| Elijah Harkless | 16 | G | 6-3 | 195 lbs | Feb 03, 2000 | 26 | 2 | UNLV | Signed on 07/08/26 |
| Chaz Lanier | 20 | G | 6-3 | 206 lbs | Dec 19, 2001 | 24 | 1 | Tennessee | #37 Pick in 2025 Draft |
| John Collins | 20 | F-C | 6-9 | 226 lbs | Sep 23, 1997 | 28 | 9 | Wake Forest | Traded from LAC on 07/08/26 |
| Daniss Jenkins | 24 | G | 6-4 | 165 lbs | Aug 17, 2001 | 24 | 2 | St. John's | Signed on 07/06/24 |
| Kevin Huerter | 27 | G-F | 6-6 | 190 lbs | Aug 27, 1998 | 27 | 8 | Maryland | Traded from CHI on 02/03/26 |
| Javonte Green | 31 | G | 6-5 | 205 lbs | Jul 23, 1993 | 33 | 7 | Radford | Signed on 08/14/25 |
| Tolu Smith | 35 | F | 6-11 | — | Jul 26, 2000 | 26 | 2 | Mississippi State | Signed on 09/17/24 |
| Duncan Robinson | 55 | F | 6-7 | 215 lbs | Apr 22, 1994 | 32 | 8 | Michigan | Traded from MIA on 07/07/25 |
Total Points
Isiah Thomas
18,822
Total Assists
Isiah Thomas
9,061
Total Rebounds
Bill Laimbeer
9,430
Total Blocks
Ben Wallace
1,486
Total Steals
Isiah Thomas
1,861
Championship Wins
1989, 1990, 2004
Conference Titles
1988, 1989, 1990, 2004, 2005
Division Titles
1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2026
Competing in the highly competitive Central Division of the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons 2026-27 season as one such complete and decorated team in the NBA. It's a continuation of momentum this season: Detroit scored up front with a sign-and-trade for John Collins and added wing depth with the addition of Gary Harris and Taurean Prince as part of a six-team blockbuster. The Pistons remain on the road to being an actual playoff team.
The Pistons' franchise history and the changes the team will make before the 2026-27 season here will be discussed on both sides.
The history of the Detroit Pistons dates back to 1941, when the organization started under the name Fort Wayne Pistons and moved to Detroit in 1957. The team has become over the years a blue-collar, defense and toughness team, one that takes pride in its identity. Championship history for the franchise includes three championships, the physical, defense-first "Bad Boys" teams in 1989-90, which is a fact that is still brought up by fans and analysts when discussing the Central Division's all-time teams.
The names of Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars are most synonymous with the Detroit Pistons brand, having played a significant role in shaping the franchise for generations of fans. For context, it's a franchise with 3 NBA championships that's having different expectations than one still pushing for its first, and every season is judged, rightly or wrongly, by Isiah Thomas' era — hence the scrutiny given to Detroit's rise from rebuild to playoff contender this season.
The Detroit Pistons are an identity of the game known for being blue-collar, defense and tough. That identity affects trades, free agency, constructing offensive and defensive schemes, and more.
Going into 2026-27, Detroit's staff will continue to develop offensive speed, spacing, and body control, but with John Collins joining the frontcourt for added scoring power which doesn't go out of style with the team's defensive-first mentality — a nod to the "Bad Boys" of the past.
Fans' view of the franchise is also influenced by rivalries. The Detroit Pistons face another notable rivalry in their schedule, with the Chicago Bulls, and it is always a game that garners special attention and should be added to any Pistons fan's calendar.
Detroit Piston 2026-2027 season has some real momentum going for them: They just acquired John Collins in a six-team sign-and-trade to join the frontcourt scoring line and they've also acquired Gary Harris and Taurean Prince in the wings. The season is significant in that Detroit is trying to continue its playoff improvement by adding depth and experience to its young group.
The Pistons had a long rebuilding process before making real strides in recent seasons and returning to the playoffs. These additions this offseason are more of a front office attempting to speed up the timeline.
The biggest coaching challenge is finding the right mix of playing time between Collins and the rotation the team has.
First-Round Pick: Ebuka Okorie (No. 17, via trade) Strengths: Long, athletic wing defender Player's role: Developmental piece, with a limited amount of minutes in the rotation.
Strengths: Rim-protecting center prospect
The two selections bring long-term defensive value to a team that's slowly but surely becoming a defense-and-depth type team.
| Move | Type | Expected Impact |
| John Collins (sign-and-trade) | Trade | Frontcourt scoring and rebounding |
| Gary Harris / Taurean Prince | Trade | Wing shooting and depth |
| Kevin Huerter | Free Agent | Perimeter shooting |
| Isaiah Joe → Oklahoma City | Trade Departure | Loses backcourt shooting depth |
Roster-fit analysis: Collins adds another proven frontcourt scorer to Detroit, as it continues to move for proven talent in its emerging young core.
Gary Harris, Taurean Prince, Ebuka Okorie and Ugonna Onyenso add depth.
Cade Cunningham He is expected to keep improving as a franchise staple and will be expected to drive the Post-Gators in the postseason.
John Collins Must score in the front court on a regular basis to be viable in the new rotation.
The ongoing two-way development of Ausar Thompson could be the key to being a playoff team or a real conference threat.
The Detroit Pistons, as a Central Division team, compete in one of the toughest divisions in the Eastern Conference. Playoff seeding, home-court advantage and, since the creation of the play-in tournament, a team's guaranteed postseason berth or the need to battle the play-in games for the final playoff seeds are all determined by divisional and conference standings. It is critical to know the divisional record of the Pistons, rather than just the franchise's record, in order to understand how the current roster is doing against the teams they play the most.
Cunningham takes another step forward, Collins has been a consistent scorer and Detroit gets a top-4 seed with some real playoff upside.
Inconsistency will keep Detroit in the lower half of the standings, and out of the playoffs.
Not yet — Detroit is on the road to success, but probably needs two more years of development to reach true title contention.
Each NBA season has its own changes in roster, coaching philosophy and injury and health changes that give an idea of where a team is heading, before the playoffs even begin. The Detroit Pistons' storylines to watch are:
Rosters, coaches and injuries all shift over the course of a season – so take preseason projections as a starting point and not a fact – the best way to gauge the Pistons is to follow their live schedule and box scores throughout the year.
The Detroit Pistons, like all NBA teams, will face an 82-game regular season before the field of playoff teams is decided. That load is evenly distributed with additional games against Central Division opponents such as the Chicago Bulls and a periodic rotation of interconference competition. Championships are a rarity in a franchise that has only 3, which means that every regular season game is important: Home-court advantage is defined by seeding in the Eastern Conference and a handful of key close divisional games can mean the difference between the play-in round and the Championship round.
The season is divided into discernible phases:
When a fan first encounters the Detroit Pistons in 2026-27, knowing history isn't just trivia, it's a factor in how they cover and discuss the current team. A team with 3 NBA championships has different expectations than one still working to make their first not just because of the number of championships won, but because each season is judged on the standards established during Isiah Thomas's time. The Pistons' move from rebuild to playoff contender is uniting so many Detroit fans in their excitement, because they have witnessed championship-level basketball before and will again.
It's also an example of how the Chicago Bulls rivalry has more significance for Pistons fans, in particular, than for other groups, since matchups over a long time span, even in the midst of a rebuilding-to-contending transition, have greater significance to a fan base than do newer ones.
Sports OKBet is one of the most popular sportsbooks in the Philippines that provides odds and markets for the Eastern Conference playoff series for the ascending teams such as Detroit and provides game-by-game lines all year round as well.
The Detroit Pistons 2026-27 as a real playoff contender with a nice frontcourt scoring ace in John Collins that has been bolstered with a franchise history of three championships and a reputation for being tough. The expectation is a Top 6 seed with some playoff potential. Stay tuned to Detroit's season and keep an eye on Sports OKBet for live odds and analysis.
Established in 1941 as the Fort Wayne Pistons, the franchise was moved to Detroit in 1957.
The Detroit Pistons are a team that has won 3 NBA championships and the bad boys' team of 1989-90 was a physical, defense-first team.
Little Caesars Arena, in Detroit, is the home of the Detroit Pistons.
The Detroit Pistons play in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.
The Detroit Pistons's most notable historical rivalry is with the Chicago Bulls.
John Collins was picked up by Detroit as a sign-and-trade with Gary Harris and Taurean Prince in a six-team trade.
Detroit chose Ebuka Okorie (17) and Ugonna Onyenso (53).
Yes, Detroit will be a solid playoff team in the East.
Cade Cunningham's steady progress as a cornerstone of the franchise combined with frontcourt scoring improvements.
Sourcing: Founding year, championship numbers, arena names and rivalry are provided by the OKSports Editorial Team's series of NBA franchise guides. Trade, draft and free-agreement information for 2026-27 is as of August 2026 and from NBA.com and Wikipedia's log of 2026-27 NBA transactions. The predictions of lineup, the number of victories, and scenarios are based on analysis.
