NBA Rumors: Pistons Expected to Be 'Judicious' with Cap Space at 2025 Trade Deadline

The Detroit Pistons solid start to the NBA season may limit the trade flexibility of other teams in the league.

Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that the Pistons' significant cap space could have made them a major candidate to take on "unwanted salary" from other teams making bigger deals at the deadline in exchange for draft capital. However, Detroit's start to the season may make the team less likely to use that space carelessly.

"Across the league, teams have been considering the Pistons' current $14 million in salary cap space and whopping $44 million cushion below the luxury tax as "for rent" at the trade deadline. With trades in the apron era more complex, the Pistons had indeed left that space open to use to possibly acquire draft assets in return for taking on unwanted salary to facilitate bigger deals elsewhere.But with their team achieving a significant turnaround under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff -- Detroit went 14-68 last season, including a record-tying 28 straight losses -- the Pistons may not be so loose with that space after all. After winning eight of their past nine games, team sources say the Pistons are adjusting their thinking and may be more judicious with their valuable cap space as they consider their own roster upgrades and flexibility for next season.

The Pistons are currently 19-19 and sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. This is already a five-win improvement from 2023-24 and the team could be pushing for a postseason berth for the first time since 2018-19.

This turnaround has come in head coach J.B. Bickerstaff's first season and 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham has been a major reason why. He has averaged 24.3 points, 9.3 assists and 6.6 rebounds in 34 games. Other strong performers have been Jaden Ivey, Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris. Ivey, however, has been lost to a broken fibula and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Detroit has $44 million in cap space before the luxury tax but Cunningham will have his $224 million contract extension kick in after this season. While adding draft capital could be helpful, potentially limiting the team's spending power could be a detriment to the developing core.