The Pistons do not have a pick in the first round of the NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is here, and for once, Detroit Pistons fans are not worried in the slightest. That is because the Pistons do not have a first-round pick, and are good enough and young enough, that the sense of FOMO is not kicking in.
The Pistons lost their pick (No. 17) in a draft-night trade that netted them Isaiah Stewart in 2020. The Minnesota Timberwolves currently own that pick. The NBA also decided to split the NBA Draft up into two nights, so the real action doesn’t start for Detroit until Thursday evening when they are slated to select at No. 37 with a pick that originally belonged to the Toronto Raptors .
For a team that has historically not just picked in the lottery, but picked in the top 5 (mostly at No. 5 because the lottery gods and math are often cruel), it is strange to not be poring tirelessly over college prospects and wondering which one person is going to be the one to turn the Pistons’ fortunes entirely around.
We don’t need a savior anymore in Detroit. That is because we not only have Cade Cunningham, selected first overall in 2021, but a solid roster of young talent surrounding him, and a solid group of veterans surrounding them.
Barring a trade, the Pistons will enter next season with an intriguing roster of young players in Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart, and Ron Holland. There is a chance the Pistons could trade up into the first round to grab a player at a position of need. Or the Pistons could surprise everyone and trade a core piece for a package that could include players and picks.
Most likely, though, it will be a run-it-back kind of offseason. That means the Pistons will be looking for a best player available in the second round, and if that player happens to be a big man who can shoot, a beefy forward who can play both ends, or a reliable point guard with range, all the better.
In the meantime, we will see how tonight’s selections change the NBA landscape around Detroit. The Pistons are a playoff team, after all. Some of the teams above and below them will get better. Others worse. I’m just glad to have one season where I don’t feel duty bound to grind tape. Instead, I’m interested in whatever comes and looking forward to next season.
So we will use this space to chat through NBA Draft night, figure out who we need to worry about, clown the reaches, and start itching for a Pistons trade up that will surely never come as our respective favorite players start falling down the draft boards. Sounds like fun!