With a variety of decisions heading the Detroit Pistons’ way this offseason, an easy one should be retaining the services of Daniss Jenkins. His contract has a team option for the 2026-2027 season that they have yet to decide on. The smart move is to take the team option now, give him another season to work with Detroit, and make a longer-term decision with more information.
The Detroit Pistons Would Be Crazy Not To Take Daniss Jenkins’ Team Option
As it stands right now, the only NBA teams not in the offseason are the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. It’s hard to feel bad for them, considering they’re facing off for the title. Most people expect this to be a pretty epic series that goes a full seven games. According to a certain basketball-loving corgi, Victor Wembanyama is going to pick up his first championship.
For every other team, it’s planning time for the 2026-2027 season. The 2026 NBA Draft is about to hit with one of the deepest talent pools in the history of the league. On top of that, free agency will be in full swing with several players on the verge of finding out if they’re coming back next season or if it’s time to start exploring overseas options.
If that’s not enough, decisions about options are in the wind. That includes guys who have player options in their contracts that allow them to decide whether they want to stick with a team or not. A big one is Zach LaVine, who has a player option with the Sacramento Kings. His choosing to leave would be a game-changer for their rebuild. Jenkins is in a completely different situation.
Jenkins Waits For Pistons’ Decision
After going undrafted in 2024, Jenkins was able to sign a two-way contract with Detroit. He spent most of the 2024-2025 season on the Pistons’ G League affiliate while making seven appearances on the NBA roster. Then, 2025-2026 happened and changed his life.
In the summer of 2025, Jenkins was signed to another two-way contract. He started to get more appearances with the Pistons, putting up career highs and even starting against the Chicago Bulls. Detroit’s coaching staff and front office were so impressed with him that they bumped Jenkins up to a standard two-year NBA contract as of February 7th, 2026.
This led to Jenkins becoming Cade Cunningham’s backup point guard. He was a key player during Cunningham’s late-season injury absence, not to mention delivering in a big way during the playoffs. Jenkins is a young star on the rise in the Motor City.
The Pistons Still Need To Do Their Due Diligence On Jenkins
Now, Detroit has a decision to make, and it’s an easy one. The second year of Jenkins’ contract has a team option in it, meaning they can let him go if need be. Given how well he’s done and how high his ceiling is, the franchise would be crazy to let this guy walk. Keeping him on board for another season is the smart move right now. They do have a third option, though.
The Pistons could decline the team option and offer Jenkins a longer-term contract to lock him in. That also isn’t the right move. If he doesn’t pan out, that puts them in the position of being stuck with him for several seasons instead of one. The only reason to do that would be to keep him at a bargain rate for those seasons before he decides he wants much bigger money and can back that up in negotiations.
In all honesty, it’s hard to imagine that Jenkins won’t work out in a big way for the Pistons. There’s not a lot of risk in this situation. Still, they would be well served to take this season to analyze him further and decide if he does fit their plans before making a long-term commitment.
Featured Image: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
