To this point, they traded up in the draft for Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie. They traded away their longest-tenured Piston, center Isaiah Stewart, to the Memphis Grizzlies for three second-round picks. They acquired Isaiah Joe from the Oklahoma City Thunder for two second-round picks. They also re-signed Kevin Huerter to a three-year, $27 million deal with a team option in the final season, Javonte Green signed a 1-year, $3.9 million deal to return, while John Collins signed a three-year, $51 million contract in which only the first year is fully guaranteed at $17 million. That move will likely be completed as a sign-and-trade with the Clippers.Meanwhile, 33-year-old Tobias Harris, one of the team's leaders and the starting forward who helped spearhead the turnaround two years ago, departed for the San Antonio Spurs on a two-year, $31 million deal.Okorie is a smaller guard who was one of college basketball's best isolation scorers and ball-handlers. Despite carrying a heavy workload as a freshman, he maintained a low turnover rate and was ultra-effective with the ball in his hands. Isaiah Joe shot better than 40 percent from three-point range for the fourth consecutive season and is coming off the best year of his career. Collins, meanwhile, is coming off a career-high 41 percent shooting season, provides positional versatility at the four or the five and he's a vertical lob threat. Despite this, many fans are upset. Especially after striking out on the likes of Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Austin Reaves, and most recently, reportedly Kevin Durant. Lakers initially offered Austin Reaves $30M/year, but were forced to increase their offer to $46M/year after the Pistons started to aggressively pursue him. Damn. (via ESPN, h/t @RealGM) pic.twitter.com/krcM6mSZ8D— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 25, 2026There were reportedly talks of the Pistons getting Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade with the Rockets and Celtics, per @BrettSiegelNBA.However, Houston ultimately killed the deal as talks continued. pic.twitter.com/uZR2Nonm5x— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) July 2, 2026It has been especially difficult for fans to watch their Eastern Conference peers make splashier moves. The Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown, the Raptors acquired Kawhi Leonard, and the Miami Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo.But there is a more nuanced reason why those teams were better positioned to make those moves.Outside of Giannis, whose acquisition required virtually every asset imaginable, those teams largely dealt pieces that were not attached to their core players in exchange for an even greater piece to their puzzles.For example, the Raptors moved Brandon Ingram, who they acquired last season for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a first-round pick and a second-round pick. This week, Ingram, along with the Raptors' former No. 13 overall pick from the 2023 NBA Draft, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap, were sent out to acquire Kawhi Leonard. That deal allowed Toronto to maintain a core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Collin Murray-Boyles, Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead and Jakob Poeltl while pairing them with a 34-year-old Kawhi Leonard, who is coming off the best statistical season of his career.A move like that, however, is often the product of a previous regime's ability to steward a franchise successfully over time, something the Pistons have been unable to do for nearly two decades.In 2000, the Pistons acquired Ben Wallace in the sign-and-trade that sent the former No. 3 overall pick Grant Hill to Orlando. Wallace became the backbone of the franchise. They signed Chauncey Billups in 2002, and he became the team's franchise point guard. Those two served as anchors, but drafting TayShaun Prince and trading for Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace formed the foundation of a championship team and a contender that reached six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals from 2003 to 2008.Pistons guard Chauncey Billups drives past against Magic forward Grant Hill during the second half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals in Orlando on Saturday, April 28, 2007.