However, more was needed in 1993-94 as the Pistons slid to their worst mark, 20-62, since the club's 16-66 record in 1979-80. Prior to training camp Detroit traded a disgruntled Dennis Rodman to the San Antonio Spurs for Sean Elliott. Bill Laimbeer retired 11 games into the season, leaving the club with only two players, Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, who had been Pistons during the team's two championships. The Pistons' season featured losing streaks of 14, 13, 8, 7, and 6 games; Detroit was 1-14 in January and 0-13 in April.

Dumars was the club's leading scorer, tallying 20.4 points per game, 13th best in the NBA. Terry Mills scored 17.3 points per game. Thomas, who became one of four players to rack up 9,000 career assists (along with Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, and John Stockton), retired on April 19 after tearing his Achilles tendon in Detroit's final home game. He was the Pistons' all-time leader in points, assists, steals, and games played.

In the offseason hope arrived in the form of Grant Hill, a tremendous all-around talent from Duke University whom the Pistons nabbed with the third overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft. Later in the summer Dumars participated on Dream Team II, the U.S. squad that won a gold medal at the 1994 World Championship of Basketball.