The 2008–09 Detroit Pistons season was the 68th season of the franchise, the 61st in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the 52nd in the Detroit area. The season was the first under new head coach Michael Curry, who took over for Flip Saunders who was fired at the conclusion of the 2007–08 season.

During the season, the Pistons traded Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson. McDyess was waived by the Nuggets and was re-signed by the Pistons. It was their first losing season since the 2000–01 NBA season, and the first time they didn't reach the Eastern Conference Finals since the 2001–02 NBA season. The 2008–09 season was also the last time the Pistons qualified for the playoffs, until the 2015–16 season. Iverson left the team following the season.

On the day of the draft, the Pistons traded D. J. White to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for the rights to Seattle's number 32 and number 46 picks. The picks were used to select Walter Sharpe from Alabama–Birmingham and Trent Plaisted from Brigham Young, respectively.