Last season, especially in the playoffs, a 60-win Detroit Pistons team realized that not having a reliable secondary creator next to Cade Cunningham kept them from advancing as far as they wanted. In this situation, most teams would use the offseason to make a trade or sign a big name to solve that problem. The Pistons, on the other hand, chose not to, and it showed up on opening night against the Boston Celtics, as Cunningham seemed to be the only player in Detroit doing both, creating for himself and others.
What’s a good solution for the Pistons? Trade for Darius Garland from the LA Clippers. Garland has extensive experience as a secondary creator, having played next to Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland and Kawhi Leonard in LA after the trade deadline, and his playstyle fits well next to Cunningham.
Might it cost the Pistons a decent amount of assets? Sure, but it’s worth it if it solves their biggest problem and ultimate makes life easier for the franchise superstar.
Darius Garland is the player the Detroit Pistons desperately need next to Cade Cunningham
Right now, the Detroit Pistons are relying on Ausar Thompson to provide the help Cade Cunningham needs. He has the tools and potential, and because they just paid him over the summer, the Pistons are clearly optimistic he’ll make that leap.
However, Thompson lacks the shooting ability to thrive as a secondary creator. He can pass and run an offense, but without a legitimate jumper, opponents can easily limit his impact.
As a result, as we saw in just the first game of the season, Cunningham was left to facilitate and score at a high level because no one else in the rotation could.
That's why they need to go after Darius Garland, who could be traded at the deadline in Feb. 2027.
On the Cleveland Cavaliers, Garland notched two All-Star appearances aiding Donovan Mitchell. That alone says he’s phenomenal in that role, but for more proof, he averaged 19.9 points and 6.4 assists in 19 games for the LA Clippers last season, alongside Kawhi Leonard.
Garland can consistently put up roughly 20 points and six assists, and on occasion, he’ll put on a scoring clinic.
All in all, acquiring Garland benefits the Pistons tremendously. It would give Cunningham a sigh of relief and let Thompson play his game instead of trying to meet Detroit’s needs they neglected over the summer.
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