Things aren’t as rosy in Minnesota as they looked a few weeks back. The Timberwolves just put together one of their best seasons in franchise history. Ant-Man blossomed. Rudy Gobert finally found a rhythm. The fans were hyped. And yet, the new ownership group; Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, are already staring down the barrel of a brutal decision.

See, owning a winning team isn’t the same as just buying one. Luxury tax bills stack up. Ego management becomes a daily grind. And the calls from agents, stars, and front offices? Never stop. They just got a crash course in that.

Now with the Suns quietly fielding calls for Kevin Durant, the Timberwolves have popped up as a potential trade partner. It’s wild. One second, you’re toasting a playoff run; the next, you’re wondering if you need to blow things up to keep climbing. But here’s the twist nobody saw coming: the Wolves might not be KD’s biggest threat. There’s a wildcard creeping into the picture. A team that hasn’t sniffed the spotlight in years. The Detroit Pistons. Yeah. You read that right. Detroit.

So far, the Pistons haven’t made any formal move. In fact, they weren’t even listed by Shams Charania as part of the current group of teams that have shown interest. But that’s where the shocker lies. According to The Zach Lowe Show, Bill Simmons floated the Pistons as one of his favorite fake KD teams, “Are we sure we should cross off Detroit [Pistons]?” He didn’t confirm anything; just hinted. But sometimes, those “fake” suggestions have more behind them than people realize.

Zach Lowe didn’t even hesitate before admitting, “No—they’re on my list, I mean I don’t know that they’ve dabbled in it at all,” Simmons added, “You could throw in together the last year Tobias, Isaiah Stewart, then couple [of] picks,” with Lowe chiming in, “The salary match is right there.”

It actually makes more sense than it sounds. KD is coming off another elite season: 26.6 points per game, nearly 53% from the field. That’s vintage stuff at age 36. Now imagine him next to Cade Cunningham. The spacing? Unreal. The pressure on Cade? Gone. The Pistons made their first real playoff push with just a hint of decent shooting around their franchise point guard. Add KD’s gravity? That offense opens up like a faucet.

But it’s not just about fit; it’s about reality. Detroit has some tough calls ahead. Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. are both unrestricted free agents. Tobias Harris shot poorly all season. If they don’t patch that up, Cade’s progress could stall. That’s the real risk. And this is where the “Harsh Reality Check” part kicks in for Minnesota’s new owners too. Zach said it too, “I think Minnesota wants Durant the most from what I’ve heard.” They can offer KD more shine. More wins. But not more control.

But this is where it gets more complicated, as Lowe pointed out, “Phoenix and Minnesota both are in the second apron.” Simmons further examined the mess with a bold message, “I still don’t understand what’s allowed and not allowed with this stupid second apron….it’s just malpractice by the Players Union.” commenting on why the Players Union even agreed to the hard cap CBA rules back in June 2023.

Meaning, they face tight restrictions on salary matching, trade exceptions, and overall roster flexibility. For Minnesota’s new ownership group, that’s a logistical nightmare. Even if, as Zach Lowe pointed out, they could offer Kevin Durant a path to more wins and a bigger spotlight, the second apron changes everything. Building a trade package without gutting their core or taking on bad contracts becomes incredibly difficult. It’s like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube—with half the stickers missing.

In Phoenix, he felt overshadowed by Booker. That same dynamic could resurface with Ant-Man. As Simmons said on the pod, “If he goes to Minnesota… he’s number two again. How does he feel about that?”

Meanwhile, Detroit? They can give him the rock. The spotlight. The mentorship role. And potentially, a quicker path to legacy redemption. It might not be the popular move. But it’s the kind of curveball KD’s career has been built on.

Pistons risk Cade Cunningham backslide if they fail to make key addition

Let’s be real; Cade Cunningham barely got a taste of what it feels like to play with real shooters. Just a couple of reliable perimeter guys around him and boom! Detroit made a postseason push. But now? They’re dangerously close to falling back into the same trap they’ve been stuck in for years.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley were band-aids. Not long-term solutions. And Tobias Harris? He struggled from deep, failing to consistently space the floor for Cade’s drive-and-kick game. If Detroit doesn’t double down on shooting this offseason, Cade could end up chasing ghosts again.

Yes, internal growth might help. Jaden Ivey showed promise from deep before injury. Ausar Thompson and rookie Ron Holland II should improve under Fred Vinson. Even Marcus Sasser and Simone Fontecchio have room to grow. But that’s all speculative. You can’t bet a franchise cornerstone’s development on maybes.

Cade’s shot abandoned him in the playoffs too. That’s fixable. But not if defenses keep collapsing on him because nobody else is a threat. Opponents dared Detroit’s role players to beat them; and they couldn’t. Just 32.4% shooting from deep across the series. That’s unacceptable.

Detroit has to bring in real help. Whether that’s KD or someone else, the point remains; surrounding Cade with shooting isn’t optional anymore. It’s a non-negotiable. This offseason will define not just Cade’s path, but the Pistons’ future as a team that can finally step out of the rebuild fog and into the light.