DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons inquired about trading for Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant this offseason, according to Vincent Goodwill of ESPN.
The LA Clippers traded Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, while Durant remains a member of the Houston Rockets.
“The Pistons had heard Leonard wasn’t interested in coming to Detroit amid the Clippers’ cap-circumvention scandal, per league sources, and the Rockets weren’t willing to engage on Durant,” Goodwill wrote.
Detroit was the No. 1 seed in the East last season. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons to 60 wins in Year 2 of the J.B. Bickerstaff era.
The Pistons beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2026 playoffs in seven games. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated Detroit in the second round in seven games.
Pistons Had Ugly Summer With Duren
Jalen Duren didn’t attend Detroit media day because of his contract dispute with the front office.
The center also stayed away from teammates during the summer.
It wasn’t until October 1 that Duren and the Pistons finally agreed to a deal, ending an ugly summer.
Duren signed a five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed contract to return to Detroit.
The 22-year-old Duren averaged just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game against the Magic and Cavaliers in the 2026 postseason. It was his first NBA playoff run.
Duren, though, played well in the 2025-26 regular season, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting 65.0% from the field. He recorded 41 double-doubles in 70 games and made his first All-Star team and All-NBA team.
A Memphis product, Duren was the 13th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He holds career averages of 13.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in the regular season.
“Last season was some of my highest moments in my career and some of my lowest,” Duren said. “I’m willing to acknowledge that. And I’m willing to turn that frustration and that anger and whatever I felt toward my play and how things may have ended, I’ve learned instead of exerting my energy in being mad, exerting my energy into bettering my craft.”
The Pistons open this season on October 20 against the Boston Celtics.
