DETROIT >> In preparation for the 2025 NBA trade deadline, Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon and his team identified two key intangibles.

They aimed to acquire a veteran point guard who could serve as a secondary ballhandler during the Pistons’ playoff push. However, regardless of the moves made, Langdon and his staff were determined to maintain the team’s cohesion.

The gameplan led to the Pistons acquiring point guard Dennis Schröder in a five-team trade that also included Lindy Waters III and a future second-round pick from the Golden State Warriors. Sunday’s 112-102 win over the Charlotte Hornets was a small sample size of what made Schröder the ideal trade target for the Pistons.

Schröder played 15 minutes at Little Caesars Arena and re