It looks like LeBron James will not be joining the Detroit Pistons.
But is that a mistake?
LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports Group, discussed his biggest client’s free agency after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers in a new episode of his podcast, “Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul,” released Friday, July 3.
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15 Detroit Pistons trade targets, from Kawhi Leonard to Lou Dort
The Detroit Pistons need to add playmaking and shooting this summer, president of basketball ops Trajan Langdon said after the season. Here are 15 players under contract to watch. Age as on Dec. 31, 2026. The “odds” are 1-5, 1 is unlikely to happen. Now, the words…
(Photos by Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn)
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15 Detroit Pistons trade targets, from Kawhi Leonard to Lou Dort
The Detroit Pistons need to add playmaking and shooting this summer, president of basketball ops Trajan Langdon said after the season. Here are 15 players under contract to watch. Age as on Dec. 31, 2026. The “odds” are 1-5, 1 is unlikely to happen. Now, the words…
(Photos by Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn)
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15 Detroit Pistons trade targets, from Kawhi Leonard to Lou Dort
Boston Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown. Age: 29. Contract: 3 years, $183 million. Possibilities: 1.
(Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)
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15 Detroit Pistons trade targets, from Kawhi Leonard to Lou Dort
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant. Age: 38. Contract: 2 years, $90 million. Possibilities: 1.
(Photos by David Reginek-Imagn)
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15 Detroit Pistons trade targets, from Kawhi Leonard to Lou Dort
New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III. Age: 26. Contract: 3 years, $87 million. Possibilities: 2.5.
(Stephen Lew, Imagn Photos)
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15 Detroit Pistons trade targets, from Kawhi Leonard to Lou Dort
In the episode, Paul broke out an old-school whiteboard to break down James’ free agency options, which have been ramping up like crazy since recent reports from ESPN’s Shams Charania that the decision won’t be “financially driven.”
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What does that mean? Teams don’t have to worry about salary cap restrictions when hiring James.
So at a low salary, there will be plenty of players for one of the two greatest players in NBA history who showed last season that he can still bring it to the top stage.
There were 10 groups on the list that Paul shared.
The Pistons were not one of them.
Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors won.
But not the Pistons, despite interest from the team.
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LeBron in Detroit seems like a no-brainer and maybe it still is, but from a basketball perspective, it makes a lot of sense.
Last year in the play-offs, many times the Pistons found themselves in need of someone who can handle the ball other than Cade Cunningham as the Orlando Magic and the Cavaliers focused on the candidate for the MVP of the Pistons.
Detroit Pistons Javonte Green (31) defends against Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James (23) during the second half at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Monday, March 23, 2026.
Even at 41 years old, James still has incredible athleticism, especially on quick plays, and can be a force to pick apart defenses with his play if teams decide to double-team Cunningham or take the ball out of his hands.
MULTIPLE PISTONS: Pistons linked to Pelicans’ Trey Murphy in trade talks: How would he fit in?
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He will also increase the goals for the Pistons over Tobias Harris, who started to stand out for the team last year before signing with the Spurs. Harris was often the Pistons’ second-leading scorer in key spots alongside Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Duncan Robinson, but he averaged just 13.3 points per game last regular season compared to James’ 20.9, even the third option behind Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić.
Adding James would also push freshman John Collins off the bench, providing more depth and athleticism to that unit.
Finally, for a Pistons team that was beaten by the Cavaliers, 125-94, in Game 7 of the second round, James will add a level of maturity and experience that the team lacked last year.
James is a four-time NBA champion, the all-time leading scorer in the regular season and playoffs and has accomplished just about everything any player can do.
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How valuable would that be next to a young core of Cunningham, Duren and Thompson who are still trying to do it for the first time?
Seeing James in a Pistons jersey sounds like a dream, but if it’s a basketball decision, it shouldn’t be.
Andrew Birkle is the assistant sports editor for the Free Press. Contact him by email at abirkle@freepress.com.
This article is from the Detroit Free Press: LeBron James made a mistake by leaving the Pistons off his whiteboard list.
