What impact is Ron Holland making for Detroit Pistons?
Free Press Sports columnist Shawn Windsor break down the influence Ron Holland is making on the Detroit Pistons.
Sporting a six-game winning streak, the Detroit Pistons are the hottest team in the NBA and the subject of some even hotter trade gossip.
The Pistons are coming off a 111-108 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, Nov. 9, pushing their record to 8-2 and keeping them in first place in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are also taking advantage of a weakened East, with Achilles injuries in the 2025 playoffs to stars Jayson Tatum (Boston) and Tyrese Halliburton (Indiana) limiting the number of true contenders in the conference.
Paired with an advantageous salary cap situation, the start has some NBA experts and league officials thinking even bigger for the Pistons.
Here’s a sampling of what experts have recently been saying about the Pistons entering Monday night’s game against the Washington Wizards.
Pistons trade rumors for Lauri Markkanen
In an episode of ESPN’s “The Hoop Collective” podcast released on Friday, ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill suggested the Pistons as a team who could trade for Utah Jazz power forward Lauri Markkanen.
“If you are a team like Detroit, do you say, ‘you know what, let’s call [Jazz CEO of basketball] Danny Ainge and see what it would take?'”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst chuckled since Markkanen has been in trade rumors for a few years since being acquired from Cleveland in the Donovan Mitchell blockbuster more than 3 years ago, but he didn’t dismiss the idea.
“If you’re looking for a team that might be sniffing, Detroit’s on the list,” Windhorst said.
Markkanen, 28, is averaging a career-high 28.3 points on 45% shooting over nine games this season, adding 6.1 rebounds and two assists (also a career-high) per game. Goodwill thinks the Pistons could acquire a player such as Markkanen while keeping their most-prized young players.
“I think there’s a way for them to keep the Ausar Thompsons of the world and Ron Hollands of the world and to get a bona fide second scorer that could aid Cade Cunningham,” Goodwill said.
Markkanen is signed for three more seasons beyond this one, becoming a free agent in 2029, and would give the Pistons a lethal big man shooter. He signed a four-year, $195.9 million extension with the rebuilding Jazz in August 2024, and makes $46.4 million this season, 30% of the cap.
A trade featuring the expiring contract of Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey (2026 restricted free agent), Ron Holland − that salary matching would work − and draft capital could potentially entice the Jazz (3-6).
The Pistons just got a close look at Markkanen on Wednesday, when they held him to 8-for-22 shooting for 25 points in a Pistons 114-103 win.
Cade Cunningham 2nd best player in the East?
On Monday’s “The Hoop Collective” podcast, ESPN reporter Tim Bontemps heaped praise on Cunningham, whose 24 points in the second half Sunday night rallied the Pistons past the 76ers.
“I think Cade’s the second-best player in the East,” Bontemps said. “As a 6-8 guy who has the command of the game like he does, who because he’s so big can help you at the defensive end, too, just always in control, always smooth … I wouldn’t take anybody else other than Giannis [Antetokounmpo] over him.”
Windhorst disagreed, saying Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell was having a better season, but reporter Tim MacMahon agreed with Bontemps’ assessment.
“The only guy in the East who’s clearly making a bigger impact on a night-to-night basis than Cade Cunningham is Giannis,” he said, adding that Pistons center Jalen Duren’s growth have made him and Cunningham one of the best duos in the East.
Pistons ceiling is now higher for 2025-26 season
On Monday’s episode of the “ALL NBA” podcast with former NBA guard and current ESPN analyst Tim Legler and Adam Mares, Legler said he has recalibrated his ceiling for the Pistons, saying they have gone from a team that could win a playoff series in 2025-26 to one that could make the East finals.
“I think they’re as well-rounded, as complete as anybody else in the Eastern Conference,” Legler said. “They’re a really good team that’s balanced, and they defend every night, and they’re mentally tough.”
The Pistons went from a franchise-low 14 wins in 2023-24 to a 44-win season in 2024-25, making the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season and winning a playoff game for the first time since 2008. Now, they’re leading the East and the NBA is taking notice.
[ MUST WATCH: Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
