It wasn't too long ago that the Detroit Pistons were losing games left, right, and center. In 2023, they lost an NBA-record 28 consecutive games, and it looked like everything was bleak and that there was no hope for this Pistons squad. Fast forward to 2025, and they are sitting pretty atop the Eastern Conference with a 15-2 record that's been powered by an ongoing 13-game winning streak.
This Pistons team has come such a long way from when getting a win felt like winning an NBA championship. Getting victories on a nightly basis is now the expectation for this burgeoning powerhouse led by Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, and they might be able to compete for a title as soon as next year.
What makes the Pistons' future prospects that much more promising is the fact that they've gone on this hot streak despite not having their full roster yet. Jaden Ivey and Tobias Harris only recently returned from their respective injuries, while Marcus Sasser has been out all year as well. It might be a stretch to think that a team with a 15-2 record still has a ton of room to grow, but this is exactly the case for this Pistons team.
The Pistons have become the pick of many media members as the next team to pull off a blockbuster trade to try and expedite their contending timeline. One trade target that's emerged for them is Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, who is in the middle of a strong bounce-back campaign in which he's averaging nearly 30 points per contest.
Detroit's best offer for Lauri Markkanen
Pistons trade: Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris, 2026, 2028, and 2030 first-round picks, 2027 and 2029 first-round pick swap
Jazz trade: Lauri Markkanen
Acquiring a star player who's under contract for multiple years requires trading away multiple future first-round picks; the New York Knicks' trade for Mikal Bridges had them ship off five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets. This is a similar price for the Pistons to pay.
Many insiders believe that any Pistons trade talks for Markkanen will be having Ausar Thompson as the starting point. Thompson is a blossoming two-way force, and he is proving himself to be one of the best defenders in the association. He's only 22 years of age, and his athleticism and defensive instincts have become a huge part of the Pistons' gritty identity.
It's understandable as to why the Jazz will be asking for Thompson in any trade scenario. Thompson is by far the Pistons' best prospect who could be available for trade (Cunningham and Duren are untouchable), and there's always going to be the question of whether or not his offensive game develops to the point of him being more than a transition demon and a threat near the hoop.
Thompson is shooting 30.8 percent from beyond the arc this year, but he's doing so on just one attempt per game. As tantalizing as his talent and athleticism may be, he might end up getting played off the court in playoff scenarios if he's unable to at least hit his open triples. He will be dared to shoot — can he rise to the challenge when the time comes?
But Thompson is too important of a piece for the Pistons to give up. Markkanen is so far and away a better scorer than Thompson, but the Pistons need his defensive contributions to progress in their path to contention.
The player who's emerging as a bit of a superfluous piece for the Pistons is Jaden Ivey. No one should doubt whatsoever that Ivey is a talented scorer who simply had some bad luck when he broke his leg earlier in the year. Ivey can score from all three levels, and he's the exact kind of off-guard who can relieve some of the scoring pressure as well as ballhandling burden from Cunningham.
But the Pistons have been thriving even with Ivey playing a small role. Ivey being out has also allowed the Pistons to give Duren more faceup opportunities, and he's been making the most of them. Duncan Robinson has also emerged as a valuable piece of the starting lineup as a lower-usage, motion-based shooter.
And then the Pistons now have Caris LeVert, another ballhandler and scorer off the bench. Daniss Jenkins has also been brilliant, emerging out of nowhere to become a legitimate rotation player. And then there's Sasser, who can also deliver some serviceable minutes backing up Cunningham.
Parting ways with Ivey is not going to sit well with Pistons fans. But if the return is Markkanen, then letting go of him would be worth it. Markkanen just has so much gravity on offense that he doesn't need to touch the ball often to make an impact for this rising Detroit squad.
The more painful part of this transaction may be letting go of Tobias Harris. Harris is a certified culture-setter for the team, and it's not a coincidence that Detroit started to turn things around upon Harris' arrival.
This is the exact off-court roadblock the Pistons have to contend with as they debate whether or not it's worth it to pull off this kind of blockbuster trade. Harris is too important to the locker room, and so is Ivey, that the vibes in Detroit may tank and their play may suffer as a result even though they're bringing in an (on-paper) upgrade in Markkanen.
Why Lauri Markkanen is a perfect fit for the Pistons
Markkanen is one of the best scorers in the association. His jumpshot is pure, and at 7'0″ tall, he's a walking mismatch especially when he lines up at the three. He's currently averaging 28.5 points on 47.7 percent shooting from the field as the first option for one of the worst teams in the NBA in the Jazz.
But Markkanen is not your typical go-to-guy. He doesn't do much damage, if any at all, off the bounce. He can take on smaller defenders on the block, but he's content feasting on the open looks that his guards create for him. 83.5 percent of his made field goals on the year have been assisted, according to NBA.com.
That is a telling mark that makes him a perfect fit for any team with a do-it-all point guard like the Pistons do in Cunningham. For reference, only 62.7 percent of Duren's baskets are assisted. Cunningham is at 26.9 percent.
As a non-ball dominant star, Markkanen should be able to take this Pistons offense to the next level. Cunningham would have even more space to breathe on the perimeter, and having Markkanen move around screens in the role that Duncan Robinson fills makes the team that much more dangerous to defend.
In terms of on-court fit, Markkanen and the Pistons are like hand and glove. But there are a few roadblocks off the court that Detroit has to overcome, making any Markkanen trade a difficult one.
Will the Pistons disrupt their chemistry? Or even meet the Jazz's exorbitant price?
With the Pistons on a roll, they may be hesitant to make a seismic change in the middle of the season. Integrating Markkanen will not be difficult, but parting ways with the pieces the Jazz would demand in any trade scenario will be.
Nonetheless, the Pistons have the cap flexibility, as well as the assets, that makes them a very reasonable trade destination for the Jazz star. But the Jazz under the supervision of Austin Ainge are going to extract a huge trade return for Markkanen, considering he's under contract until the 2028-29 season.
Will the Pistons even be willing to meet the certain exorbitant trade demands the Jazz will have, especially if it comes with the risk of destroying locker-room morale?
