Detroit Pistons: Would LaMelo Ball even stay beyond his rookie contract?

The Detroit Pistons could potentially select LaMelo Ball in the upcoming draft. Would he stay beyond his rookie deal?

By the time the 2020 NBA Draft rolls around, (currently set for October 15th) the Detroit Pistons will have had plenty of time to scout the players that they feel are best equipped to help move this franchise forward.

LaMelo Ball is expected to become one of the top selections, and is arguably the biggest prize in what’s otherwise a pretty average draft class. If Detroit is to have a chance at selecting him, they’ll need to move up in the lottery.

As it stands, the Pistons have the fifth best odds to land the number one overall pick. The issue is that in the history of the NBA lottery, Detroit has never once moved up from their original spot. That means this theory kicks off with a pretty big contingency; the Pistons will need to get lucky.

In the event that Ball is on the board when the time comes for Detroit to make their pick, fans should assume that he’ll be the next name called. Senior Adviser Ed Stefanski has already said that they current plan is to draft the best player available to them. In most cases, that would be Ball.

So if the ping pong balls fall in their favor, then LaMelo will be Detroit’s next big hope. Someone who will immediately bring overwhelming media attention that the franchise hasn’t seen in a considerably long time.

The hype alone would be pretty exciting, but can he be the point guard of the future? We’d have to wait and see.

Ball’s court vision is elite, his athleticism is off the charts, and although his form is a bit unorthodox, his shot can be effective with his range being virtually limitless. The biggest issue that scouts (or anyone who watches him for a few possessions) will see is that he struggles to defend, to put it delicately.

If he were to light it up the way that most anticipate he may, then that could mean a few things.

For starters, having rookie talent that transcends the team itself is a bit of a foreign concept to Pistons fans for the most part. Too often in recent years have they either waited a few seasons for a player to begin to contribute, they completely strike out, or we’re still waiting to see what they can do.

Sekou Doumbouya could still be special, but right now it’s a waiting game.

So the Pistons could be on the incline, just under a year after they officially began their rebuild. In this event, there may not be an issue. If Ball felt his contribution to the team was great enough that he could help turn them into a contender within a reasonable time frame, there’s likely nothing to worry about.

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However, in the event that he’s individually preforming well but the team around him is still struggling severely for a few years, there could be a problem. (One could say that he should be elevating the play of his teammates, but that’s a different conversation.)

Ball’s outspoken father LaVar has been on record saying that he hopes LaMelo is drafted by the New York Knicks. Considering he definitely helped Lonzo’s case to be drafted by the Lakers, speaking this into existence could hold some interesting weight.

Even if you don’t believe that, (which no one would blame you) having people around you who clearly want you to play somewhere else could leave an ominous cloud over any team not named the Knicks that he goes to.

So if by the end of Ball’s rookie contract with Detroit, if the team hasn’t begun to turn things around and he’s playing at the level that people think he may, why would he stay?

Now that’s not to say that the Knicks are in any way going to be contenders within a few years, but if he were to look for the spotlight, that’s naturally where he’d find it.

There could be a legitimate chance that the Pistons strike out on a potential generational talent just a few short years after drafting him. They’d be able to offer him the biggest contract when he hits the market, but the concern would still be there.

To be fair, all signs point to Troy Weaver being able to navigate Detroit’s rebuild with pretty clear direction. It feels as if the franchise is in good hands, which would ideally make this concern obsolete.

It also, once again, relies on a handful of contingencies that could end up being completely wrong.