Speaking to DJ Siddiqi of R.org, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham expressed enthusiasm about newcomers like John Collins, Isaiah Joe, and Taurean Prince, indicating he’s looking forward to seeing the impact they’ll have on the roster in 2026/27.

“Excited about all those guys,” Cunningham said. “They’re all high-IQ players, guys that can shoot the ball; all that stuff is needed for us, so we’re excited to have them. We talked a little bit. I was just in the gym, one of the guys that we just added, so it’s fun. I’m excited about this season.”

The Pistons are coming off a 60-win season and a No. 1 seed in the East, but they’ve been something of an afterthought in discussions about the Eastern Conference this summer. Many of those conversations have centered on the defending champion Knicks and the new-look Sixers, with teams like the Heat and Raptors also generating buzz as a result of star additions (or, in the case of Toronto and Kawhi Leonard, a tentative trade agreement for a star). Cunningham told Siddiqi that being left out of conversations about the East’s top teams is “definitely fuel” for him and the Pistons.

“I think we got a lot of noise to make,” he said. “And especially people doubting us, like I said, it just adds more fuel to everything.”

We have more on the Pistons:

• The fact that Ausar Thompson is extension-eligible this offseason as the Pistons negotiate with restricted free agent center Jalen Duren shouldn’t be overlooked, according to ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill, who suggested on the Hoop Collective podcast that the contract discussions for each of those players will impact the other’s talks. “I think there’s a lot of people within the Pistons organization that hold (Thompson) as the second-best player on this team and not Jalen Duren, even though Duren made the All-Star team,” Goodwill said (Twitter video link). “And that affects these discussions.” Thompson will be a restricted free agent in 2027 if he and the Pistons don’t agree to an extension by October 19.
• Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News provides an update on the Pistons’ local broadcasts for the coming season, writing that The Spot Grand Rapids 17 and FOX 17 WXMI-TV will air Pistons games for free in Grand Rapids in 2026/27. The deal is an expansion of a previous local broadcast agreement with The E.W. Scripps Company, which will broadcast Pistons games on The Spot Detroit 20 and WXYZ in Detroit.
• In case you missed it, despite their 60-win season in 2025/26, the Pistons aren’t among the 10 NBA teams who will be in action on Christmas Day this December. However, Detroit will host the very first game of the ’26/27 regular season on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 20.