Although the Detroit Pistons have struggled to reach the playoffs recently, former players have made an impact on their current teams this postseason.
Former Detroit Pistons who made the playoffs: 8. Luke Kennard
Since leaving Detroit, Kennard has reached the Western Conference Finals and led the league in three-point shooting percentage.
Luke Kennard is one of many to benefit since leaving the Detroit Pistons. For starters, he's gained valuable postseason exposure. With Detroit, his first and last playoff stint was in 2019, when the Bucks swept Detroit in an unimpressive first-round series. Since then, Luke Kennard has proven to be a valuable asset to any team looking for a scoring option off the bench.
He reached the Western Conference Finals with the Clippers in 2020. In his first year with the Grizzlies, he shot 50 percent from 3-point range in the first round of the playoffs against the Lakers.
The Detroit Pistons drafted Luke Kennard with the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Kennard was a standout shooter at Duke University. It was clear that a role was soon to be carved out for Kennard. However, his first season as a full-time starter for the Pistons was cut short due to bilateral knee tendinitis, followed by a COVID-19 suspension. A year later, in November of 2020, Kennard was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a three-team deal and the rest is history.
After an impressive stint with the Clippers, Kennard was traded again in the middle of the 2023 season to the Memphis Grizzlies. He's now set a franchise record with ten threes.
Former Pistons who made the playoffs: 7. Tobias Harris
Another former Piston that got minutes this postseason was Tobias Harris. Tobias came in the middle of the 2016 season and helped the Pistons clinch the eighth seed that first season. Although they were swept by the championship-caliber Cavaliers, this gave them a playoff berth for the first time since 2008 — a very positive sign for Detroit.
But, in January of 2018, after two productive seasons with Detroit, Tobias and others were traded to the Clippers in exchange for Blake Griffin, Willie Reed and Brice Johnson. Almost a year later, on February 6th, 2019, Tobias was traded again, this time to the 76ers.
Good news for Tobias is that he's not going anywhere soon. On July 6, 2019, the Sixers re-signed Harris to a five-year, $180 million contract. Despite losing this year's Eastern Conference Semi-Finals to Boston, the city of brotherly love will continue to trust the process with Tobias. In Philadelphia, he's made the playoffs five years in a row. He continues to shine as a great complementary scorer next to Harden, Maxey, and Embiid.
Former Pistons who made the playoffs: 6. Bruce Brown
Drafted 42nd overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2018 NBA Draft, Brown is a true success story among the former players on this list. Although he was a key piece to the Detroit Pistons' rebuilding plan, Bruce Brown was traded to the Nets in November of 2020.
Due to Brooklyn's injuries, Brown was forced to step up as a playmaker in the first round of the 2022 Playoffs. Brooklyn faced the Boston Celtics and Brown emerged, exploding in Games 2 and 3 for a combined 49 points.
Following an impressive season with the Brooklyn Nets, Brown signed with the Denver Nuggets this summer and has flourished since then. Now only the Miami Heat stand between him and his first championship.
Former Pistons who made the playoffs: 5. Trey Lyles
Trey Lyles wasn't drafted by Detroit, but he signed a two-year, $5 million-dollar contract with the Pistons in August of 2021. According to statistics, Trey averaged 10.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 51 games with the Detroit Pistons.
Sacramento acquired Lyles on February 10th, 2022. Getting out of Detroit for Lyles meant the opportunity to play under head coach Mike Brown and compete in a tough Western Conference.
This postseason, Lyles joined the other former Pistons in getting buckets. He became one of the key contributors for Sacramento in the Golden State series, where his rebounding and three-point shooting made him an X-factor.
Former Pistons who made the playoffs: 4. Saddiq Bey
Bey was drafted 19th overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2020 NBA Draft. The Detroit Pistons acquired draft rights to Bey in a three-team trade the following day. In three seasons with Detroit, According to the stats, Bey averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He also hit his career high with Detroit, scoring 51 points against the Magic.
Come February of 2023, Saddiq was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. There, he got his first taste of playoff basketball, playing against Boston in the first round. The Hawks lost that series, but Bey averaged 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist in his first six playoff games as an NBA player. A solid introduction to the postseason for a young player like Saddiq.
Former Pistons who made the playoffs: 3. Blake Griffin
As previously mentioned, Blake was brought to Detroit from the Clippers during the 2018 season. He ended up averaging 20.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 138 games for the Pistons. Quickly, he became the city's superstar and beacon of hope,
Blake arguably gave Detroit one of the finest regular seasons of his career. But, a player of Blake's caliber should be playing and assisting his team in the postseason, not tearing his meniscus trying to force an under-experienced team into contention (whomp whomp).
Blake missed a lot of time due to injury. So much so that the Pistons and his timelines were no longer compatible. The Pistons bought him out of his contract and since then, Blake has played for the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics. He has been to the playoffs with both teams. Most recently, he went to the Eastern Conference Finals with Boston. There, he continues to provide veteran leadership and has earned the title of an extremely valuable role player.
Former Pistons who made the playoffs: 2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Before winning the NBA Finals with the Lakers in 2020, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope averaged 11.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Pistons. Detroit drafted KCP with the eighth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Being one of their premier perimeter defenders, Kentavious led his team in minutes played during the 14-15 NBA season. During his time in Detroit, Kentavious was also selected to play with the Rising Stars at the 2015 All-Star Weekend. However, in 2017, the Detroit Pistons renounced his rights, making him an unrestricted free agent.
KCP signed with the Lakers that same summer and quickly earned a pivotal role on the team. After winning a championship in the bubble, KCP joined the Wizards the following year, as part of the Russell Westbrook trade. Kentavious was traded again in 2022 and now contributes as a major player for Denver, hoping to add another ring to his resume.
Former Pistons who made the playoffs: 1. Reggie Jackson
After showing the NBA what he could do as a starting point guard in Detroit, Reggie Jackson looks for his first ring in Denver.
The Detroit Pistons acquired Jackson in a three-team trade in 2015. That same season, Jackson became the first Pistons guard to record multiple triple-doubles in a season since Isiah Thomas in 1986–87 and Grant Hill in 1997–98.
Despite things not working out in Detroit, Reggie's impressive career continued. After five years with the Pistons, Reggie joined the Clippers in 2020. During the 2021 season, he started and led the team to their first Western Conference Finals appearance. Although Reggie averaged 20.3 points per game, the Clippers lost that series to the Suns.
Despite a productive and efficient career with the Clippers, Jackson was traded to the Charlotte Hornets for Mason Plumlee along with a future second-round pick on February 9, 2023. Jackson and the Hornets agreed to a buyout shortly after. Then he signed with the Denver Nuggets, joining a pair of former Pistons, Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
In short, it's clear that the Detroit Pistons have a knack for producing talented players, even if they haven't reached their own playoff aspirations.
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