The Detroit Pistons continue to reshape a roster that won 60 games last season as they battle for supremacy in a suddenly stacked and formidable Eastern Conference.
The Pistons swung a trade Tuesday, July 7, with their Central Division foe Milwaukee Bucks in a salary swap, sending Caris LeVert and two second-round picks for forward Taurean Prince and ex-Michigan State guard Gary Harris, a person with first-hand knowledge of the deal confirmed to the Free Press. The outgoing second-round picks are from the 2027 draft (Milwaukee’s and less favorable of Brooklyn or Dallas).
The Pistons save roughly $7.2 million in the deal and will generate a trade exception worth $15 million, a person with first-hand knowledge told the Free Press, granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly. The trade exception is worth the same amount as Isaiah Stewart’s outgoing salary for 2026-27 – a hint to how the Pistons’ series of offseason transactions will be processed by the NBA.
The Pistons roster now stands at 17 players, indicating at least two more moves will happen before the end of the offseason to bring the roster within the 15-player limit.
Prince, 32, is on an expiring $3.8 million contract and is a career 38.7% shooter from 3-point range. He played 26 games last season due to a neck injury, but returned in March. He averaged 9.2 points in 23.5 minutes per appearance for the season.
Harris, who turns 32 in September, is also on an expiring $3.8 million contract. He played in 48 games last season with Milwaukee, averaging 2.7 points in 13.8 minutes.
LeVert, 32 in August, is on a $14.8 million expiring.
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Pistons trade creates needed flexibility
According to ESPN, the LeVert trade – as well as the Pistons’ previously reported trades to bring in former Los Angeles Clippers power forward John Collins and send Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies – will be processed as part of a massive six-team transaction including the Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards.
For the Pistons, the trade brings several benefits.
By trimming more than $7 million in salary off the books, they’ve carved out roughly $42.8 million in cap room under the luxury tax, according to NBA cap expert Keith Smith. It’s enough to accommodate a maximum contract for restricted free agent Jalen Duren – the 25% max he was eligible for prior to being named third-team All-NBA was $239 million over five seasons, starting at $41.2 million next season.
It doesn’t guarantee Duren’s new contract will reach that number, but affords the Pistons more flexibility as they continue rounding out their roster.
The $15 million trade exception, good for one year, also provides them an avenue for another player acquisition. A trade exception is similar to a voucher, allowing them to take in a contract worth up to that amount without needing cap space.
Caris LeVert stats with Pistons
LeVert, a Michigan alumnus, averaged 7.4 points on 41.7% shooting, 33.3% on 3s, and 2.7 assists in 60 games averaging 19.2 minutes off the bench last season. He spent one year with the Pistons after signing a two-year, $28.9 million contract in 2025 and battled lower-body injuries as he has for his entire career including college.
LeVert played in 13 of 14 playoff games for coach J.B. Bickerstaff, averaging 5.9 points in 16.6 minutes per game on 44.6% shooting (29-for-65) and 37% on 3s (10-for-27) and helping the Pistons win a first-round series for the first time since 2008.
From Pickerington, Ohio, LeVert was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2016 draft acquired by the Brooklyn Nets.
Pistons moves this offseason to reshape roster
The Pistons have been busy this summer. In the NBA Draft, they selected Stanford freshman guard Ebuka Okorie after trading up four spots with the Grizzlies to No. 17 overall.
A day later, the Pistons traded Stewart to the Grizzlies for the same three future second-rounders they’d traded one night earlier. Later that night, the Pistons purchased the No. 53 pick from the New York Knicks to draft Virginia center Ugonna Onyenso, who since signed a two-way contract.
The Pistons acquired sniper guard Isaiah Joe in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and re-signed wing Kevin Huerter.
After NBA free agency opened, they acquired Collins and re-signed wing Javonte Green.
The Pistons lost their second-leading scorer from the playoffs when Tobias Harris agreed to a two-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs.
The Pistons finished 60-22 last season – the third-best record in franchise history and their best since 2005-06, and fell to the Cavaliers in seven games in their deepest postseason run in 18 years.
Third-year Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said he is building around their core three – Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Duren – this summer, with a repeated emphasis on adding more shooting and ball-handling. Duren remains a restricted free agent.
The LeVert trade was first reported by ESPN.
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons trade Caris LeVert and picks to Bucks to create salary space
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
