The Detroit Pistons have a bright future ahead.
Even after a first-round defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Pistons and their All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham effectively put the Eastern Conference on notice.
By establishing themselves as one of the NBA's best collections of young talent, Detroit could become an alluring destination for some of the game's greatest stars.
In fact, an NBA analyst and former veteran center recently indicated that Detroit could have a chance to complete a league-altering trade to stake their claim as a favorite to come out of the East by pursuing a blockbuster swap with the Milwaukee Bucks to pair Cunningham with 2-time MVP and NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"(Antetokounmpo) might want to consider going to play with that boy Cade Cunningham down there in Detroit," ESPN's Kendrick Perkins shared during a Monday appearance on the Road Trippin' podcast.
"I'm telling you right now, that would be a problem. The East is wide open."
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"If I'm Giannis, I'm seriously considering going to Detroit. Detroit is back on fire, great basketball city, a lot of culture, and you have a rising young superstar, Cade Cunningham."
"That puts them right there in the championship conversation."
The Bucks' superstar has braved the storm with regard to constant trade rumors throughout this offseason, but the prospect of the 2021 NBA Finals MVP teaming up with Cunningham to create one of the most fearsome duos in the NBA is certainly one to consider.
At just 30 years old, Antetokounmpo may just now be entering the prime of his career after authoring a sensational 2024-25 campaign. This past season, the 6-foot-11 bulldozer contributed 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists while knocking down 60.1% of his attempts from the field, earning a third-place finish in MVP voting and a seventh-consecutive All-NBA First Team selection.
From a basketball standpoint, Antetokounmpo and Cunningham are a perfect match. The Pistons' first-time All-Star in 2024-25 racked up a career-high 9.1 assists to go along with 26.1 points, and he'd likely increase that assist figure if Antetokounmpo were to serve as his trusted pick-and-roll partner.
Outside of Cunningham, the Pistons' youthful supporting cast of Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren could round out the edges of a title contender for the next half-decade.
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