Last year’s NBA draft lottery resulted in the Pistons landing the No. 1 overall pick and selecting Cade Cunningham, and his strong rookie campaign has liberated general manager Troy Weaver to select the best player available no matter where their pick lands on May 17, argues Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
The league has been dominated by primary play-makers with the basketball IQ, talent and skill to manipulate defenses, and Cunningham certainly fits that description. That’s why Langlois believes Weaver should be comfortable selecting whichever player he believes “has the best chance to both complement Cunningham and have his potential drawn out by Cunningham.”
The worst pick the Pistons can end up with is No. 7, but there’s a 93% chance it’ll be in the top six.
Here’s more on Detroit:
- James L. Edwards III and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic explore several prospects the Pistons might target in the upcoming draft. If the Pistons land the No. 1 pick again, Vecenie views Jabari Smith as the top choice, with Chet Holmgren second. However, he doesn’t love the fit between Cunningham and Paolo Banchero. In the four-to-seven range, Vecenie thinks Jaden Ivey or Shaedon Sharpe, both top-tier athletes, would fit well as a second guard next to Cunningham. Both Edwards and Vecenie have heard Detroit likes Keegan Murray, but they aren’t sure exactly how much. Vecenie compares Murray’s game to Tobias Harris and Antawn Jamison, skilled forwards who are/were productive NBA players.
- Who should the Pistons target if they fail to land one of the top 2022 free agents with their sizeable cap space? Some fallback options might include Gary Harris, Bryn Forbes, Donte DiVincenzo and T.J. Warren, Edwards writes in another story for The Athletic.
- In the same vein, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press details three focus areas for the team in free agency, and who they should target. Sankofa thinks Jalen Brunson is a good fit with Cunningham and Detroit has been linked to him multiple times, but the Mavs are reportedly intent on keeping him. Deandre Ayton, who’ll be a restricted free agent once Phoenix tenders him a qualifying offer, is a legitimate max player in Sankofa’s eyes, but he thinks the Suns would match any offer for him.
Pistons trade Jerami Grant for Josh Hart and their top second round pick (#36)
Creates even more cap space.
In the draft get Chet Holmgren and in the second round Wendell Moore and Micheal Foster.
In FA
bring back Marvin Bagley 4 years 60mil (12,14,16,18)
bring back Corey Joseph 1 year 5mil
Get Colin Sexton 4 years 100 mil (25 each)
Chance your luck with TJ Warren on a 1 year 10mil deal with a team option worth another 15mil.
Then that’s about it
1. Cunningham. Hayes. Joseph
2. Sexton. Hart
3. Bey. Warren. Moore
4. Bagley. Olynyk. Foster
5. Holmgren. Stewart. Garza
That would be thee worst possible offseason they could have. Why would we pay 100 to a ball dominate guard who just came off a major surgery?? Jerami Grant is getting a 1st round pick at best. Josh Hart is not a big upgrade over Diallo imo I keep Diallo. And what would they resign Joseph when we are trying to develop guards??
Ball dominate? He played SG to accommodate Garland and ended up getting 20 points per game. You don’t average 20 off 6 shots per game…
Hart is definitely a big upgrade and the second round pick is almost a first…
Cause as much as you want to develop young guards you want to win and Hayes I don’t think is good enough. He will get a chance but Joseph will out play him
When did that happen? He barely played this year…
Last year 24 points per game and year before that 20 points per game and played over 60 games in each of those seasons …..
If that’s the best offer you get for Grant, just keep him.
White Donte, the Michael Jordan of Delaware has looked more Jeffrey Jordan than MJ.
Pistons aren’t landing a top FA. And they should be dealing their veterans. They’ll need to draft themselves into contention.
If they acquired enough assets and if he wanted to force his way out, KAT would be the target. Unlikely but that could be the next name that says I want OUT.
Thoughts and prayers
If they get #1 overall. Take Jabari Smith and figure out a trade for James Wiseman.
Pistons still want a 1st 13-18 range in this years draft for Grant.
OKC have 3 number one picks they might try to get one of them.
With the Rockets number 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, they select Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga.