Pistons favor patience, make only minor move at trade deadline
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The Detroit Pistons, owners of the Eastern Conference’s best record, chose restraint at the Feb. 6 trade deadline, shipping guard Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls for swingman Kevin Huerter in their lone transaction.
President of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said the front office preferred to preserve the roster’s chemistry and lean on a defense that ranks second only to Oklahoma City. “I think we’ve really been doing it different, doing it on the defensive end,” Langdon told reporters Friday in Detroit. “Nothing came up that would’ve made us skip steps.”
Why the Pistons stood pat
Detroit debated larger deals—league sources linked the club to Brooklyn forward Michael Porter Jr. and New Orleans wing Trey Murphy—but Langdon said talks never progressed. “There were some things we thought about but didn’t execute,” he explained, noting either opposing teams backed away or the timing felt wrong.
Huerter, 27, arrives with an expiring $17.9 million contract and a career 37 percent mark from three-point range, although he is shooting 31 percent this season. The contract gives Detroit additional cap flexibility this summer; the franchise ranks in the NBA’s bottom third in payroll.
Ivey, the No. 5 pick in 2022, becomes a restricted free agent in July. The 24-year-old has struggled to recapture form after a fibula injury on Jan. 1, 2025.
Context around the conference
While Detroit opted for continuity, several East contenders were active. The Boston Celtics landed center Nikola Vucevic from Portland for Anfernee Simons, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired All-Star guard James Harden, and the New York Knicks added backup guard Jose Alvarado.
Looking ahead
Star guard Cade Cunningham is signed long-term, and All-Star center Jalen Duren is eligible for an extension this summer, as is wing Ausar Thompson. Langdon wants to see how the current group performs under postseason pressure before committing to bigger roster changes. “The hope is we give ourselves a chance to play meaningful basketball in the postseason and that’ll allow us to assess what this team is,” he said.
Detroit, 44-18 entering Friday’s action, is on pace to surpass last season’s 44-win total before the All-Star break.
Source: ESPN
