The Detroit Pistons are off to a great start to the 2025-26 NBA season, sitting first in the Eastern Conference with a 25-9 record. Still, they could be in play to upgrade their roster before the trade deadline.
Early stories linked the Pistons to Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis. But former ESPN writer Marc Stein stated that those reports were overstated because acquiring an older star doesn’t fit their timeline. Instead, Stein thinks Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. would be a great addition for J.B. Bickerstaff’s team.
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“They don’t want to make some really splashy, expensive move for an older player. Anthony Davis also wants an extension if he gets moved somewhere. That’s not the move that Detroit is looking to make at this early stage of their evolution as a playoff contender. But Michael Porter Jr. as a shooter? This team lost Malik Beasley, who was just a lights-out shooter last season,” Stein explained.
Pistons need 3-point shooting help
The Nets acquired Porter Jr. in the summer from the Denver Nuggets, and he’s been outstanding ever since — putting together an All-Star-caliber start while posting career highs of 25.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists through 26 games.
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However, with a young and inexperienced team around him, he is viewed more as a valuable trade chip to acquire draft capital or younger talent.
Meanwhile, the Pistons may need Porter more than any other team in the league right now.
“They also lost Tim Hardaway Jr. Now they took measures to try to replace those guys by bringing in LeVert and bringing in Duncan Robinson. But you said it very well. Every team with aspirations of doing anything in the playoffs can always use an extra shooter. And that’s why the next phone is going to keep ringing,” Stein added.
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The Pistons rank 21st in 3-point shooting percentage and 27th in 3-point makes per game. Meanwhile, Porter Jr. is a 40.3 career 3-point shooter, averaging 3.8 3-pointers made this season, and could be a great asset for this year’s Pistons team.
Bill Simmons also likes MPJ’s size for Detroit
Bill Simmons also thinks Porter Jr. would be a great addition for the Pistons.
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Simmons pointed out how Detroit struggled guarding Kawhi Leonard and Jaylen Brown in their recent matchups with the Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics. But with the 6’10” Porter Jr replacing Tobias Harris, he thinks the move could take them over the top.
“This is clearly the team where there’s one easy fix for them that would make them go up a level,” Simmons said on his podcast. “There’s just a Michael Porter Jr. thing looming here now for me when I think like, what do they need? Well, they need a big physical forward who can also take pressure off Cade because when you watch them, it’s all Cade on every play. And so what if you just replace Tobias Harris with whatever this version of Michael Porter Jr. is? Are they a better team? Also, he’s been in big games. My answer would be yes.”
It’s still unclear whether the Nets will ultimately move Porter or if the Pistons are seriously considering a roster adjustment to bring him in. But on paper, this trade makes a lot of sense, to the point where he could be the difference between Detroit losing in the early rounds or making a deep playoff run.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.