The Detroit Pistons have become one of the NBA’s top contenders this season.

After breaking through and making the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference last year, JB Bickerstaff’s team is No. 1 in the East through the first couple of months of the season.

As a result, the Pistons have been viewed as a team with potential plans to make a win-now type of deal in the trade market. Recently, JB Bickerstaff fired off an honest message, which suggests that the Pistons’ front office is unlikely to make any blockbuster deals before the February deadline.

JB Bickerstaff Sends a Message to the NBA

“We made a decision this summer that we weren’t going to push the panic button because we had a little bit of success last year,” Bickerstaff said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show.

“We felt like our guys earned the right to come back as a group and see what they could build on. You know, the core of this group is back, continuing to get better, continuing to grow. You know, they earn that opportunity.”

Heading into free agency this past summer, the Pistons were linked to a number of notable players such as Myles Turner, Santi Aldama, and Naz Reid. Two of them returned to their original team, while Turner joined the Milwaukee Bucks.

The rumors suggested the Pistons would be open to making a move to acquire a notable player if the price is reasonable, but they don’t seem interested in parting ways with core, homegrown players in order to secure a popular name like Anthony Davis.

“[The front office] gave our group an opportunity to come back and see what they could accomplish and grow it real,” Bickerstaff added.

“You don’t need to skip steps and go out and trade for some sort of superstar right away because you never know how that’s going to end up for you. Trajan [Langdon] will always make the smart decision and the right decision for the team. I don’t doubt that by any means, but we’re in a really good spot with a really good group of guys, and I really like where we are.”

The Pistons’ plan to keep Cade Cunningham’s supporting cast nearly the same as last year has worked well so far. Heading into Monday’s action against the Boston Celtics, they are 20-5.

A lot can change in the NBA over time, but most Detroit-centric trade rumors that land in blockbuster territory could probably get laid to rest right now.

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