Pistons and Cade Cunningham take a hit in latest 2026 projection originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons had a stellar 2026 season, and there's really no getting around that. The team went 60-22 in the 2025-26 regular season with 60 wins and 22 losses. They finished in first place in the Eastern Conference. But, it wasn't enough to get them to the NBA Finals. They fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a seven-game series. It was crushing for Pistons fans. After that spectacular season, suddenly, it was over. They were out. So, it's time for this franchise to look ahead to October. Unfortunately, one NBA analyst believes this team is going to have a worse regular season in 2026-27 than they did last season. Detroit Pistons get lukewarm projection from NBA analyst Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report has a piece out projecting that the Pistons wrap up the 2026-27 regular season with a 50-32 record. Now, that's not bad. But, it's not as high as they were last season with that 60-22 tally. The problem? The Pistons' "restricted free agency stalemate" is concerning, Bailey says. "Jalen Duren was the Pistons' second-best player last season. Without him, it's tough to imagine Detroit approaching anything close to its success in 2025-26," he adds. Duren is expected to be back, since most of the NBA teams have spent their limit when it comes to getting big-buck players. Also, Bailey notes that "with solid veterans ready to deploy around that two-man game, including John Collins and Isaiah Joe, the Pistons should still be one of the best teams in the East." He thinks they'll get to 50 wins. That's great. Just not as great as last season. But, as long as Detroit can get back to the playoffs and Cunningham keeps doing his thing, that's what means something. More NBA news:
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