Daniss Jenkins played in only seven games during the 2024-25 NBA season for the Detroit Pistons, but he appeared in 72 games for them in 2025-26. Jenkins averaged 9.3 points, 3.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.2 blocks per game.
Most of that came off the bench, though Jenkins did start 19 regular-season games. He also drew starts in the playoffs, including Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Cleveland, when he moved into the lineup for an injured Duncan Robinson and scored 19 points in 41 minutes. Jenkins has the trust of the coaching staff.
Daniss Jenkins Has to Hold Up When Cunningham Sits
On Detroit’s depth chart, Jenkins is listed as the second point guard on the roster behind Cade Cunningham. One of the most important things for the Pistons this season is to survive the minutes when Cunningham is not on the floor.
Jenkins will be tasked with that role. With the jump he made last season, it would not be an impossible ask in his third NBA season. The 25-year-old will be getting valuable minutes once again.
More Minutes on the Horizon
Jenkins averaged 20.2 minutes per game last season, and that number could climb. Caden Handwork of Detroit Pistons On SI wrote, “Now entering the 2026-27 season, Jenkins looks to improve even more and help the Pistons advance even further. His role in the Pistons’ rotation could increase, as his minutes are bound to be different than last season.”
If Jenkins gets to 25-30 minutes a night, it helps both the Pistons and Cunningham. Detroit cannot lean on Cunningham to bail the team out every time, and the Pistons went 13-5 without him last season.
