The Pistons sit atop the Eastern conference with 19 wins and just five losses. The team is also loaded with 14 second round picks and control of their first round picks for the next seven seasons.
The locker room is filled with a nice combination of experienced veterans and breakout young players. There’s nothing stopping President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon from trading for any superstar player that becomes available.
The Pistons were rumored to be in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes and rumors around Mavericks center Anthony Davis have also swirled the past few days. It’s going to take the perfect trade for Detroit to risk a chunk of their future.
Dec 6, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) looks on from the bench during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
Detroit hasn’t talked to Dallas
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier this week that Detroit was one of three teams who can be potential trade partners with Dallas for Davis. The trade makes a lot of sense schematically.
Davis is an offensive juggernaut capable of scoring anyway he wants too. He’s one of the best rim protectors in the NBA and is versatile enough to play alongside other big men. Davis’ attitude toward playing defense and his ability to keep spacing open with other big men should be intriguing to Pistons fans.
I’m told the Pistons haven’t had talks with the Mavericks regarding Anthony Davis. It’s hard to see the logic of a trade from Detroit’s side. Wrote about it herehttps://t.co/qIPcg0Gtmw
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) December 11, 2025
Trading for Davis comes with much more than just rim protecting and versatile offense.
What is a team trading for?
While trading for Davis makes sense stylistically on the surface, there’s so much baggage that comes with trading for him as well. The injury bug can’t seem to fly away from the Mavericks center. Despite potentially being in the sweepstakes for Davis, the Detroit Free Press is now reporting that Detroit hasn’t had any conversations with the Mavericks regarding Davis.
Davis turns 33-years-old in March and has only started ten games for the Mavericks this season. In those ten games, he’s averaging a career-low in points at 19.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.6 blocks.
“Davis’ theoretical trade has changed materially when you consult league executives…he immediately got hurt in Dallas and played only nine games after the trade. Davis needed eye surgery that limited his offseason work, and he came into the season at less than top form.”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst
If and when Davis is dealt out of Dallas, it’s safe to say he’ll be traded for much less than what Dallas gave to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year for him. This is difficult for a Mavericks team that could use all the draft capital they can receive. Dallas doesn’t have control of a first round pick until 2031. It’s also safe to say that he won’t be headed to Detroit until the two sides exchange dialogue.