Last year, the Detroit Pistons injected the Motor City with hope and optimism after obtaining the top seed in the Eastern Conference off the back of a 60-win regular season, but the squad ultimately fell in the second round to a familiar Cleveland Cavaliers team that wouldn’t quit in a seven-game series.
In the aftermath, Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon spoke about his game plan for the offseason and how to improve the squad to address some of the team’s needs, a process that he described as all-encompassing. Langdon committed to putting in the due diligence required to land a high-ceiling player with Detroit’s first round pick, and he also mentioned that he looked forward to re-signing Jalen Duren to a long-term deal.
Although Langdon hasn’t been able to get Duren to sign on the dotted line just yet, the Pistons have still been active during the summer with a litany of other moves that have reshaped the supporting cast around Cade Cunningham. One point of emphasis for the Pistons was to become a more dangerous three-point shooting squad after struggling from the perimeter all year long, but Detroit also wanted to bring in players that could do more than just shoot the deep ball.
That’s where John Collins enters the mix as quite possibly the Pistons’ most important offseason acquisition. Last season, Collins was mostly a starter for the Los Angeles Clippers, but the 6-9 big man out of Wake Forest wasn’t utilized as a focal point of the squad. Instead, the Clippers prioritized the opportunity to develop other players, so Collins’ counting numbers took a bit of a hit when compared to his scoring and rebounding averages for the eight prior seasons of his career.
Collins’ on-court time fell to 27 minutes per game out in LA, and the veteran power forward just wasn’t put in the best situation to flourish from a volume standpoint. As a shooter, Collins had another efficient performance from behind the arc with a career-high 40.6% three-point rate to his credit, so the new Piston should serve as a true stretch four with the ability to spread the floor and stretch the defense. While Tobias Harris was prolific from the mid-range in Detroit last season, he lacked the true range to test and punish opposing teams from downtown. Collins has a track record of efficient scoring from distance, so he should add another layer or a new wrinkle to the Pistons’ offense in the 2026-27 campaign.
Apart from Collins’ shooting ability, the presumed new starting power forward in Motown has an extensive highlight reel filled with high-flying dunks and alley-oops, so Cunningham should enjoy another above-the-rim lob threat running on the break. Jalen Duren primarily filled that role last season, so having two big men with high-octane leaping ability could help the Pistons function in transition as well.
Even though the Pistons made other important offseason moves like trading for Isaiah Joe for another three-point shooter or bringing in Taurean Prince to help stabilize the wing with depth and experience, Collins’ acquisition was the most important move for Detroit this summer because he represents a multi-season answer for the Pistons at the four. Although Harris was a respected voice within the locker room, he was 35 years old last season, and the Pistons needed to pivot in a younger direction. The result was a sharp-shooting big man who can attack the offensive glass and finish with authority on the fastbreak in John Collins.
