DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 10: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers looks on during the fourth quarter of a game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on January 10, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/ or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Detroit Pistons have broadcast their interest in Kawhi Leonard for several months, now, though it has always seemed like a long shot. That interest was stoked again when it was mentioned on one of the league’s biggest platforms during the NBA Draft. Brian Windhorst said Detroit was interested in going “big game hunting” and named Kawhi as a potential target. But interest needs to be a two-way street, especially when it involves a star player, and doubly so when it is a star player on an expiring contract. Unfortunately, it seems like Detroit’s interest is a one-way affair. Jake Fischer writes on Marc Stein’s Substack that Leonard has made it known that Detroit is not a place he’s interested in landing. “And sources say that Leonard would not have interest in signing an extensionwith Detroit in the event that the Pistons traded for him this summer,” Fischer writes. Leonard might famously be a man of few words, but you should always listen when he decides to make his intentions known. When he was traded from the Spurs to the Toronto Raptors for the first time, he made it clear he wasn’t going to re-sign with the Raptors and was eyeing a move to the West Coast. He won a championship and signed with the Clippers the next season. The Raptors got a title out of it, so they have no regrets, but it is hard to make the case for taking such a big swing if he has no intention of returning to the Pistons. He is currently making $50 million in the final year of his deal. He is also still ensnared in a league investigation tied to off-book payments allegedly sent to Leonard and his circle through Clippers subsidiaries. Brian Windhorst, speaking Thursday morning on ESPN’s Get Up, said that he is unsure if the league would allow the Clippers to trade Leonard until the investigation is over. It’s a shame, too, because Leonard would be a perfect fit for exactly what Detroit needs. A versatile forward who can play both spots, he has range, high-efficiency scoring, and plays excellent defense. He’d fit in seamlessly alongside Ausar Thompson, Cade Cunningham, and Jalen Duren. Leonard is coming off one of the best seasons of his storied career, but even if he were willing to entertain a long stay in Motown, it’d be a huge risk. He’s got a huge injury sheet and has averaged 55 games a season during his Clippers tenure, and that is not including 2021-22, when he missed the entire season. Of course, Leonard is not the only player who qualifies as “big game hunting,” if that is truly what the Pistons are interested in. Here is a list of players I came up with that fit the bill to varying degrees and are either reasonably available on the trade market or might be highly interested in joining the Pistons. Which player would you want to target? Kawhi Leonard LeBron James Jamal Murray Kevin Durant Trey Murphy Devin Booker Jaylen Brown Paul George D’Aaron Fox Domantas Sabonis Ja Morant “ ...read more read less