The Detroit Pistons were given an averaged offseason grade despite losing three of their key players from last season.
Pistons Receive Average Offseason Grade Despite Losing 3 Key Players originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Detroit Pistons were the surprise team in the NBA last season as they went from having the league’s worst record in back-to-back seasons to making the playoffs.
Of course, this was due to the leap star guard Cade Cunningham took last season along with the veterans that the franchise added last summer.
Detroit then entered this offseason looking to upgrade their roster even more and compete for a top seed in the weakened Eastern Conference next season and while they did add a few players, they also lost three key ones from last season.
In free agency, the Pistons signed Caris LeVert and landed Duncan Robinson from the Miami Heat via a sign-and-trade while also adding a solid young player in Chaz Lanier in the 2025 draft.
While the Pistons made these additions, they lost Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schroder and likely Malik Beasley, who were all key contributors last season.
Despite losing three key players this summer, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes still gave the Pistons a C offseason grade.
“Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr. got away in free agency, and Malik Beasley's career is up in the air amid a gambling investigation. Those three all played significant roles on last year's breakout Pistons team, but with younger options in Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland II and even Ivey ready to take on more responsibilities, maybe losing all three of their main free agents wasn't the worst outcome,” Hughes wrote.
Of course, the Pistons will need their young talent in Thompson, Holland II and Ivey to take a leap next season as they will be relied on even more with Detroit’s losses this offseason.
The good news is that all three players have shown flashes in the past of being key contributors for the Pistons in the near future and if they are able to continue to develop, Detroit may be a top team in the East next season.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
