Pistons rumors and news, live updates from 2026 NBA trade deadline

The Detroit Pistons have all the options at their disposal at the 2026 NBA trade deadline.

And in an unforeseen turn, the Pistons (36-12) have led the Eastern Conference all winter and hold a comfortable 5½-game lead with five games left before the All-Star break.

Trajan Langdon, the club’s second-year president of basketball operations, faces a critical choice: Do whatever it takes to significantly boost the team’s playoff outlook even if it means messing with the team’s alchemy, or stay the course and make a smaller move on the margin − like he did at last year’s deadline, acquiring Dennis Schröder, which ended up paying off in a bigger way than anticipated.

“Trajan and that front office crew, nobody outworks them in putting together a plan and being able to execute a plan,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said last week. “I trust his ability to do that.”

The Pistons control their own first-round pick each of the next seven years, and are allowed to trade up to four of them plus swaps in the other three years. They also have plenty of matching salary options and a trade exception for up to $14.3 million.

Here are the latest updates and Pistons rumors leading into Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline.

Be sure to follow our Pistons insider Omari Sankofa II on Bluesky.

[ Michael Porter Jr. trade makes sense for Detroit Pistons ]

Pistons trade rumors, news at NBA trade deadline 2026

Porter is healthy and having a career season as the No. 1 option on a dreadful Brooklyn Nets team, but his shooting and scoring numbers are not a surprise. The No. 14 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Porter would address the Pistons’ biggest weakness as a 3-point bomber and scorer. He doesn’t just pound the ball either, as he scores off movement and played as a tertiary option off Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray for years, including on the 2022-23 championship team.

Here’s what our Pistons insider Omari Sankofa II wrote, in part, Monday: “He is one of the league’s best shooters, by any measurement. He is fourth leaguewide in 3-point attempts per game (9.6) and, according to Cleaning the Glass, is in the 81st percentile among wings in percentage. But his impact goes beyond his shooting: He’s also a strong finisher and has taken a step forward as a playmaker this season.”

Read more on the fit and what it might take to pry Porter.

Pistons trade needs

The Pistons have three needs that would help them become more of a complete team for the playoffs. Here are five targets, identified by our Pistons beat writer Omari Sankofa II.

• Primary scoring: Targets − power forward Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz; forward Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets.
• 3-point shooting: Targets − guard Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings; forward Sam Hauser, Boston Celtics.
• Power forward depth: Targets − forward Dorian Finney-Smith, Houston Rockets; power forward Jarred Vanderbilt, Los Angeles Lakers.

Pistons trade deadline strategy

The Pistons are signaling they are thinking small rather than a swing for a bigger impact player.

”Obviously there’s still room to grow and we keep talking about that, but that’s for everybody,” Bickerstaff said last week. “I just think we’re in a really good spot right now.” 

The biggest need is 3-point shooting, where Duncan Robinson is the team’s lone constant threat. They rank in the bottom five in makes and attempts per game, and are bottom 10 at a below average 34.8%. Some of that is by design – they prioritize dominating the paint most nights, but also reflects the reliance on Robinson. The math could become the weakness that sinks them in the playoffs if they don’t add more firepower.

Pistons trade assets

The Free Press ranked the Pistons’ assets, with Jaden Ivey perhaps the club’s most likely young player to be dealt. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, and has fallen to the fringe of the rotation, averaging 16.7 minutes in 32 appearances.

Tobias Harris’ expiring contract of $26.6 million means the Pistons likely would have to part with him to make a swing at a big name. Oft-injured Caris LeVert might be the most expendable matching salary at $14.1 million if the Pistons can get upgraded creation and shooting.

Perhaps most importantly, the Pistons have a trade exception (TPE) worth $14.3 million, meaning they can take back a player making up to that amount without having to match salary.

Pistons draft picks to trade

They control all their first-round picks for the first time since 2020, and can trade up to seven − four firsts in alternating years and three swaps in years in between. They also have 14 second-round picks to grease deals, and are roughly $19 million below the luxury tax line.

[ MUST WATCH: Previewing the trade deadline. Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

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