Despite hosting the press for 2026 Media Day and opening the floor to questions for Pistons leadership and players alike, the event left more questions than answers. With Jalen Duren’s looming contract situation, offseason losses like Isaiah Stewart and Tobias Harris, and new faces with expanded roles, the Detroit Pistons head into the 2026-27 season with plenty of questions. Here are some of the biggest revelations and takeaways from Media Day.
Trajan Langdon and Jalen Duren haven’t talked all summer
Duren was not in the building. He is skipping Media Day and the start of training camp while declining a five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed offer in restricted free agency, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported. The Thursday that Langdon keeps pointing to is Oct. 1, the deadline for Duren to accept a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer that would send him to unrestricted free agency next summer.
When asked about the relationship between other members of the organization and Jalen Duren, Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said, “I have not spoken to the young man all summer, so I don’t know how that is. I know for me, I’m not going to hold anything against him. Again, I’ll be very happy to have him back; I think he will be a big part of our success moving forward.” Honestly, the rest of the quote was difficult to remember as the weight of that revelation rang louder. Another thing that Trajan Langdon was quick to shoot down was the idea of trading the All-NBA big man. “He has until Thursday to make a decision, and we will be excited to have him regardless of what decision he does make.”
Bickerstaff kept the line open with Jalen Duren
Langdon might not have spoken to Duren himself, but the same can’t be said of Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who made a point of backing his center. Bickerstaff said, “(Jalen Duren) knows how I feel about him, and I continue to let him know how I feel about him. That’s really all that matters. I love JD; I know how he feels about me. I know how he feels about being a member of the Pistons, and it’s positive. I know a lot is being said out there, but he’s a huge part of what we do and where we are right now, and the steps that we’ve taken to get there come from the work that he’s put in, the effort and sacrifices he’s made for his team and his teammates. It’s all love from our perspective, and we can’t wait to have him back.” Cade Cunningham, for his part, said he stayed out of Langdon’s ear while the front office worked.
How will they fill the holes left by Isaiah Stewart and Tobias Harris?
While Duren will seemingly be back with the Pistons one way or another this season, two players who won’t be are Tobias Harris, now on a two-year, $31 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs, and Isaiah Stewart, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for three second-round picks on draft night in June. I asked J.B. Bickerstaff about those losses in two separate questions. Bickerstaff joked, “You keep talking about all the guys that we lost,” with a sly grin. Stewart was the longest-tenured Piston and was often referred to as the heart and soul of the organization. Harris was often called Bickerstaff’s “safety blanket.” Both were instrumental in the Pistons’ turnaround.
With the loss of Stewart, Coach Bickerstaff sees no change in their basketball identity. “That’s who we are, and that won’t change year to year, doesn’t change person to person. Obviously, Stew was a huge part of what we did, the foundation of how we built this thing, but it’s up to the guys who are here now to carry it on…” As far as the loss of someone like Harris, he said, “It’s an opportunity, and that’s the way you have to look at it, right? Whenever there’s an opportunity for more, it’s an experience for bigger and greater things, and I think that’s what this moment is for all of our guys… Now there’s an opportunity to grow into those shoes and create bigger spots.”
Preseason answers start Oct. 5
Whether or not the Pistons will be better remains to be seen, but fans won’t have to wait long for preseason action. Their first preseason game is Monday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. ET, as they host the Phoenix Suns in Detroit.
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