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Detroit Pistons 2020 Draft Profile: USC’s Onyeka Okongwu

By Brendan Triola

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 19: USC Trojans forward Onyeka Okongwu (21) drives to the basket during a college basketball game between the Pepperdine Waves and the USC Trojans on November 19, 2019 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 19: USC Trojans forward Onyeka Okongwu (21) drives to the basket during a college basketball game between the Pepperdine Waves and the USC Trojans on November 19, 2019 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 19: USC Trojans forward Onyeka Okongwu (21) drives to the basket during a college basketball game between the Pepperdine Waves and the USC Trojans on November 19, 2019 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 19: USC Trojans forward Onyeka Okongwu (21) drives to the basket during a college basketball game between the Pepperdine Waves and the USC Trojans on November 19, 2019 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

With Andre Drummond’s future with the Detroit Pistons uncertain, USC’s Onyeka Okongwu would be an excellent addition to their front court.

As the Detroit Pistons begin the rebuilding of their roster and begin to focus on the 2020 NBA Draft, one player that they could find themselves enamored with come April is USC center Onyeka Okongwu.

If the Pistons decide to move Andre Drummond by the Feb. 6 trade deadline, they will create a gaping hole at the center position. Christian Wood has shown flashes of being a solid player and it would be intriguing to see him in a larger role, but they will need to make another addition in their front court.

opinion. 3 reasons why the Pistons should move Andre Drummond. light

Even though many Pistons fans are obsessed with drafting a point guard this year, it is very possible that the Pistons end up with more than one first round pick. One trade that has been rumored is dealing Drummond to the Atlanta Hawks, in exchange for expiring contracts and a 2020 first-round pick from the Brooklyn Nets.

Trading Drummond would immediately give guys like Wood a chance to develop, similar to the situation that rookie Sekou Doumbouya has been thrown into. However, the Pistons would certainly lose more games with the stability of Drummond in the front court, which could help the Pistons draft higher than they are currently slotted.

Along with the absence of Drummond, Blake Griffin is reportedly contemplating season-ending knee surgery.

What is Blake Griffin's trade value?. light. nba roundtable

That being said, the Pistons currently sit at 13-24, which is good for the seventh-worst record in the NBA. Most of the teams that are currently worse than Detroit are unlikely to make a run to pass them in the standings. A few teams like the Golden State Warriors (9-28) if Stephen Curry returns this season, along with the New Orleans Pelicans (12-24) when their full roster includes Zion Williamson could start winning enough games to surpass the Pistons, but those are nowhere close to a guarantee.

For the purposes of this exercise, we will assume that the Pistons will be picking seventh in the NBA Draft, and also own the Brooklyn Nets pick, which is currently at 17.

With the seventh pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons select Onyeka Okongwu, from the University of Southern California.