Pistons draft: The pros and cons of trading the number one pick

The Detroit Pistons currently have the third-worst record in the NBA, which gives them a 14 percent chance of landing the number one pick in the NBA Draft.

This is what all the bad teams are hoping for. Getting lucky in the lottery is the best way to rebuild, as teams can hand pick the guy they want from every player available.

But they can also trade the pick, which would certainly be an option for the Detroit Pistons if the lottery balls finally fell in their favor.

A lot of fans would recoil at such an idea, especially considering there are guys like Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley who look like franchise players.

Why not just grab one of them and got for it? There is certainly a case for just taking Cunningham, pairing him with Killian Hayes and moving forward with the backcourt of the future.

The same could be said of Mobley, who could be a perfect fit in Detroit.

But what if Troy Weaver doesn’t think either one of them is the best player in this draft? Would he consider trading the number one pick?

There are definitely pros and cons to doing so.

Detroit Pistons: Number one picks are hit and miss

Before we get into the pros and cons, it’s important to note that number one picks in the NBA Draft are far from sure things.

For every Zion Williamson there is a Markelle Fultz. For every Ben Simmons there is an Andrew Wiggins or Anthony Bennett.

You might get Anthony Davis or you might get Greg Oden, there are no certainties in the draft.

The best player in the draft is often not taken first, so the Detroit Pistons wouldn’t necessarily be giving up on getting a superstar from this draft just because he is not the first pick.

Let’s look at some pros and cons of trading down in the NBA Draft.