The Pistons weren’t willing to pay the price it would have taken to acquire a star player like Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard this offseason, but that doesn’t mean it was quiet offseason for the team, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required).

Examining summer additions like John Collins, Isaiah Joe, and Ebuka Okorie, Sankofa considers whether Detroit did enough to continue to thrive in what should be an increasingly competitive Eastern Conference or whether the front office played it too safe.

Meanwhile, it’s probably unreasonable for the Pistons to repeat last season’s 60-22 regular season record, but Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News (subscription required) identifies three factors that will determine whether the team will win 50-plus games in 2026/27.

In addition to highlighting Ausar Thompson‘s offensive development and maintaining last season’s defensive intensity, Davis suggests it will be important for Detroit to knock down more three-point shots after ranking 28th in the NBA in that category last season. Adding Collins, Joe, and a full season of Kevin Huerter should help the Pistons improve in that department.

Here’s more from around the Central Division:

• Will the Pacers be better off with Kelly Oubre or Bennedict Mathurin going forward? In the wake of news that Mathurin is signing with New Orleans, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star considers that question and ultimately concludes that Oubre will give the team more positional versatility and better defense while holding his own offensively.
• Speaking to Dopirak (subscription required) at the Pacers‘ charity softball game on Monday, second-round pick Braden Smith, who will begin his career on a two-way contract with Indiana, said he’s determined to “be better” after a shaky Summer League showing last month. “I think I’m my hardest critic about it. I think being able to digest it, understand it, see what went wrong, see what went well, what I can learn,” said Smith, who shot just 26.5% from the field in five outings in Las Vegas. “Those type of things. I had a lot of good feedback from just the guys, the coaching staff. I think I’ve come a long way so far. For me it’s just applying it and doing it with those guys at practice and learning from there.”
• The Cavaliers lost a handful of role players this offseason, including Dennis Schröder, Dean Wade, and Keon Ellis, but Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com believes Max Strus will be the one that’s the toughest to replace. While Sam Merrill is a “stylistic lookalike” on the court, Strus’ toughness, leadership, and competitiveness made him a popular locker-room figure in Cleveland, Fedor observes.