Pistons 2026 NBA trade deadline rating after 1 deal

For the first time in almost two decades, The Detroit Pistons are positioned to start the playoffs with the top four seeds, which puts them in a unique position in 2026 NBA trade deadline. The Pistons used their position to trade the expiring contract of backup guard Jaden Ivey Kevin Huerter and spade replacement.

With 30 games remaining in the 2025-26 season, Detroit is putting the finishing touches on one of the greatest two-year turnarounds in NBA history. Two years after winning just 14 games, the Pistons qualified for the 2025 playoffs, where they won their first postseason game since 2008, and are on track to finish the 2025-2026 season as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Pistons are in control of their own destiny at this point, which is an unknown position in the modern NBA. The last time it entered the playoffs with a No. 1 seed, Detroit advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Tim Duncan and Tony Parker-led San Antonio Spurs in 2007.

While the Pistons remain in the driver’s seat, they still approach the 2026 NBA trade deadline with a loaded checklist. Detroit has landed its top target, but it remains to be seen whether its new roster will improve its championship prospects.

The Pistons’ 2026 NBA trade deadline is moving

The Pistons didn’t have to make a single move at the 2026 NBA trade deadline, but they made one anyway. President Traian Langdon’s primary goal was apparently to trade Jaden Ivey’s expiring contract, Detroit’s only move at the deadline that actually came to fruition.

The The Pistons’ only move this week was a three-team deal that sent Ivey to the Chicago Bulls, while scoring Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric in return. Detroit also arranged to trade 2026 first-round picks with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are protected in the top 19, to complete the deal.

Chicago also acquired veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr. from the Timberwolves in exchange for cash. However, in a bizarre turn of events, the Bulls traded Conley to the Charlotte Hornets, who later waived him, and the 38-year-old is expected to re-sign with Minnesota.

Detroit has already released Saric, but Huerter remains with the team. The eighth-year guard is functionally filling in for Ivey in the rotation, averaging 9.0 minutes through the first three games in the Motor City.

Huerter is like that to the expiring contract and will hit unrestricted free agency in the offseason. His contract is bigger than Ivey’s, making the deal a net loss, but Detroit has a sharpshooter on a low-risk contract, proving it until the end of the season.

Pistons fans may have wanted to see a better return for Ivey, but there is no danger in this deal.

Pistons 2026 NBA Trade Deadline Score

Kevin Huerter isn’t nearly as effective as Jaden Ivey, but the goal was never to find an upgrade. Detroit simply wanted to make a good sale on Ivey, who will become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Ivey, who started just two games in 2025-26, has not been part of head coach JB Bickerstaff’s vision since returning from a gruesome leg injury and likely would not be re-signed.

Adding Huerter is a low-risk move, considering the Pistons plan to lose Ivey anyway. The 6-foot-6 three-and-D wing also answered a need for the team on paper.

While the Pistons have been one of the most efficient offenses all season, they have lacked consistent perimeter shooting. They made just 34.8 percent of their three-point looks as a team, 22nd in the league.

Huerter, a career 37 percent shooter from deep, can help with that. He’s struggled with his shooting this season, shooting just 31.4 percent from downtown in 41 games with the Bulls, but he hoped that number would improve as he got better looks from the drive-and-shoot action Detroit thrives on.

Huerter has yet to hit a 3-pointer in his first three games with the Pistons, going 0-for-6 since the trade. There were no early returns, but Huerter has time to adjust to his new situation with the All-Star break approaching.

With the Timberwolves currently sixth in the Western Conference, the Pistons will likely get their 2026 first-round pick, which will be a slight improvement over theirs.

If Huerter pans out, he’ll be a solid addition to the Pistons’ rotation heading into the regular season. Even if he doesn’t, Detroit has nothing to lose by leaving him in the offseason.

Grade: B-