The Detroit Pistons have been the toast of the NBA the past week and easy to see why.
They are leading or a headline on nearly every NBA podcast or show, off to their best start in 20 years with an Eastern-Conference best 13-2 record and 11-game win streak despite a lengthy injury report. It's the Pistons' best 15-game opening since 2005-06, when they started 15-2 on the way to a franchise-best 64-18 under coach Flip Saunders.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut the Pistons have some clear holes on the roster, notably a lack of shooting − outside of Duncan Robinson − and shotmaking beyond Cade Cunningham. This will become a glaring issue, at the very latest, in a seven-game playoff series, when preparation and scouting and adjustments become focused on granular details, and playing teams that are not missing half their rotations like is now commonplace, sadly, in the regular season.
It's never too early to start looking ahead at what the team needs, and the NBA trade deadline is less than 2½ months away Feb. 5.
How should the Pistons read this scolding start?
"No one is frightening you right now in the East," analyst Zach Lowe said on his Zach Lowe Show recorded Wednesday, Nov. 19.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDoes that make this season the time to make a big swing in a trade?
Or do you wait to see what the team looks like when Jaden Ivey comes back, assuming he gets healthy enough to play soon − he's currently on rehabbing with the Pistons G League team, the Motor City Cruise − and how the rest of the competition shapes up?
These are questions that must be answered by second-year president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon and his staff.
Lauri Markkanen trade to Pistons would be perfect fit
Utah Jazz power forward Lauri Markkanen drives between Detroit Pistons wings Ron Holland, left, and Caris LeVert during the second half at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.Get ready to hear Markkanen's name weekly in NBA trade rumors for the third straight season leading into the deadline. We already heard speculation of him and the Pistons less than two weeks ago.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Markkanen is just a perfect player for them. Perfect," Lowe said.
Markkanen, a 2023 All-Star, is in his fourth season in Utah and playing the most minutes of his career and taking the most shots of his career to produce his best season. Markkanen, a 28-year-old power forward from Finland, is averaging 30.6 points, fifth in the NBA, on 48.5% shooting and 38.5% from 3, making 3.7 of his 9.6 attempts per game.
The Pistons are 12th in offensive rating and second in defense behind only Oklahoma City entering play Friday, but rank near the bottom of the league in key 3-point shooting categories a year after ranking a tick below average in them.
28th makes per game with 11.1 compared to 12.8 last season.
28th in attempts per game with 32.1 compared to 35.4 last season.
20th in percentage at 34.5% compared to 36.2% last season.
But should the Pistons play out the season and make a smaller move to add shooting or try to pry Markkanen from Utah despite a hefty asking price?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I would probably air on the side of let's see what this is fully," Lowe's podcast guest, Steve Jones Jr., a former NBA staffer, said. "Let's see if we're missing this specific piece. If we need to go big or maybe it's make a small move and try and add some shooting and get the balance back that you had closer to last year. But I don't know if you have to take the big swing yest. You have enough success, you have an identity, you have all the guys you have bought in. ... I would say let's ride this until the wheels fall off and let's figure out in the playoffs if we are exposed or need player X."
"I want to see [Ivey] first before I do anything," Lowe said, who's concern is lack of shooting in the playoffs.
Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23), center watches the game next to guard Ausar Thompson (9), left, and forward Bobi Klintman (34), right, during the second half against Boston Celtics at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, October 26, 2025.Ivey hit 47% on catch-and-shoot 3s last season in 30 games, a key ingredient to complementing Cunningham.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLowe said swapping Markkanen into the Tobias Harris minutes would be a big upgrade, while acknowledging how "rock solid" Harris has been both on and off the court since signing a two-year deal in 2024.
Ivey theoretically would be the prize for the Jazz in this trade, but it might not even make sense for Utah considering third-year point guard Keyonte George has played well (averaging 23 points and 7.1 assists in 14 games), and is nearly two years younger than Ivey, who turns 24 in February and can become a restricted free agent after this season. A deal would also include first-round picks - the Pistons have all of their own - and another player in salary matching such as Ron Holland.
Markkanen is signed for three more seasons beyond this one, becoming a free agent in 2029, and makes $46.4 million this season, 30% of the cap. Utah is 5-9 and 10th in the West.
Lowe shouted out the emergence of Daniss Jenkins allowing the Pistons to "feel a little more comfortable letting Ivey go." But as he waits for the next two months play out, Lowe further explained why his current view is to "strike while the iron is hot if that's the upgrade that may make us a real threat to make the Finals."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I'm saying Markkanen specifically," Lowe said. "I'm not just saying take a swing for anybody and everybody. ... He's that ideal for how they play and what they need."
The Pistons, as currently constructed seem like no match for defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, which is 15-1 without their second-best player Jalen Williams.
And remember, the goal is to actually win the Finals, not just get there.
[ MUST WATCH: Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify)]
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lauri Markkanen trade to Detroit Pistons would be perfect fit
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