Do Detroit Pistons have the ammunition to land a top pick?

Last week we took a look at who the Detroit Pistons might select if the team retains its pick, and drafts in the top-three. If that doesn’t happen, does the team have the ammunition to land a top pick?

If the Detroit Pistons do not retain its first round pick, which is top-four protected, does the team have the ammunition to land a top-three pick?

It’s a question we will explore just to quantify the Pistons capabilities this offseason.

An important note, first. We are exploring whether or not the team could land a top-three pick, not whether or not the Pistons should.

With that out of the way, let’s break this down.

Top picks are invaluable, particularly in a top-heavy draft like the 2018 NBA draft.

Any team landing a top-three pick has a good chance of landing a franchise centerpiece.

What makes the pick even more valuable is the cap hit these talented rookies will have on the salary cap.

Rookie scale contracts are pennies on the dollar compared to what the players would be worth on the open market.

This allows a team to draft a cornerstone player, while still having the cap space to take on virtually any contract in a trade, or pursue a big free agent during the offseason.

Moreover, if the player does become the franchise player the team envisioned, the team gets exclusive matching rights to keep the player on the team for the prime years of his career.

With all of those things being considered, you can see why there aren’t many teams that are willing to part with such valuable assets, at least not for anything less than a proven superstar in his prime.

Do the Pistons have a proven superstar in its prime that a young, rebuilding team would want to add?

In years past, the Boston Celtics were always an obvious candidate for such a scenario. The team is build to win now, but had a clear gap at the center position.

In previous years, Andre Drummond made a lot of sense,  with the Celtics being one of the rare teams that were playoff contenders with top picks.

However, no such team exists this year, even if one of the lower tier lottery teams luck into a to-three pick.

That means the Pistons would have to entice a rebuilding team.

I think only two such teams would be interested in what the Pistons have to offer, the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks.

I think the price would be Andre Drummond, and possibly even a young player on a rookie scale deal, like Luke Kennard or Stanley Johnson.

While I do not claim to be a Suns expert, I do think the team is trying its best to be presentable again, and a nucleus of Drummond, Josh Jackson, and Devin Booker is a great start.

Of course, if the Suns do land the top pick, it could probably land Deandre Ayton, a center who brings many of the things Drummond does, only Ayton has more of an offensive game. Of course, Ayton may not be as good as Drummond now, but he likely projects to have the higher ceiling.

The same could be said for the Mavericks, which means for the Pistons to have any shot, either the Mavericks or the Suns need to be drafting second or third. That obviously has a pretty good chance of happening considering only one team can draft first overall.

I don’t think either deal is far fetched or unfair, but I wouldn’t bet on either happening.

Next: If Stan Van Gundy goes, what does it mean for Detroit Pistons’ big-three?

The point is, the Pistons may likely have the assets to entice a team in the top-three to trade, though its a slim chance. And as I said in the beginning of this article, that’s not even factoring in if the Pistons would want to make such a deal.