Pistons, Cavaliers to play preseason game at MSU's Breslin Center

Rod Beard, The Detroit News Published 1:08 p.m. ET Aug. 9, 2018 | Updated 1:45 p.m. ET Aug. 9, 2018

The Pistons haven’t released their official preseason slate, but details are trickling out from other teams’ schedules.

The highlight is a matchup at the Michigan State's Breslin Center, facing the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. Both Pistons owner Tom Gores and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert are Michigan State alums, which could be part of the reason the game is not at the Pistons’ home, Little Caesars Arena, in downtown Detroit.

The Cavaliers' announcement of the game indicates it’s a neutral-site game, but Cleveland will be the home team.

Gilbert helped finance the Gilbert Pavilion — a tribute to MSU's men's and women's basketball programs — at Breslin Center. The pavilion opened in October 2017.

The Pistons’ four-game schedule opens on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 3, followed by a matchup at the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 5. The only preseason game at Little Caesars Arena will be Oct. 8 against the Brooklyn Nets; the schedule finishes up with the Cavaliers game in East Lansing.

The preseason will be the debut for new coach Dwane Casey, who was the NBA coach of the year last season, with the Toronto Raptors. The Pistons fired Stan Van Gundy in May and hired Ed Stefanski as a senior adviser to Gores.

Stefanski has been performing the duties of general manager, having hired Casey and the rest of the front office this summer.