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Who should be on Detroit Pistons’ do not trade list in 2025 offseason?

Friend of “The Pistons Pulse” podcast Laz Jackson explains who could and shouldn’t be traded on the roster. Subscribe to the show anywhere pods are found; watch live/on demand at YouTube.

Dennis Schröder is departing the Detroit Pistons. They won’t lose him for nothing, though. 

The Sacramento Kings will acquire Schröder via a sign-and-trade, a league source told the Free Press on Wednesday, July 2. It opens more options for the Pistons to improve their roster ahead of Sunday, July 6 — when players are officially allowed to ink their new contracts — and beyond.

Per NBA salary cap rules, the Pistons can take back up to $22.6 million in any sign-and-trade involving Schröder, who will reportedly sign a three-year, $45 million contract before he’s dealt to the Kings. Alternatively, the Pistons can forego taking back salary to generate a player trade exception of $14.3 million. 

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With the trade exception, the Pistons can trade for a player — or multiple players — worth up to $14.3 million in salary without it affecting the cap. They can also carry the trade exception into next season, which would give them more flexibility to make a midseason trade if a deal they like doesn’t materialize this summer. 

If they choose to take back salary in exchange for Schröder, it could come from the Kings or from an outside team that gets involved in the deal. The Pistons have been active, adding Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson and re-signing Paul Reed. The sign-and-trade gives them another avenue to add a rotation player. 

They signed LeVert to a two-year, fully-guaranteed $29 million contract. Robinson was acquired in a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat in exchange for Simone Fontecchio. Robinson will sign a three-year, $48 million contract with the second year partially guaranteed and the third season non-guaranteed. 

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This story was updated to add a gallery. Â