The Detroit Pistons are going to be active in the NBA Draft one way or another.
They will likely have a high lottery pick to work with, but also have three picks in the second round after trading Delon Wright to Sacramento.
Those picks would currently be 38, 48, and 53 but it is doubtful that Detroit will use them all, as they already have a lot of young players they are trying to develop and won’t have roster spots for four more.
The Pistons could opt to draft an international player or two and stash them overseas or use those picks on guys they feel will start the season in the G-League.
But the Detroit Pistons have other options with those three picks.
Detroit Pistons: Trading up in the NBA Draft
The Detroit Pistons could try to package those three picks or maybe another future pick to move up in the draft.
They won’t be able to move up too much, but they could likely move up to the top of the round by trading with a team like the Thunder, who are always looking to add additional picks.
There are a few players who are projected to go at the end of the first or the beginning of the second that might be nice fits with the Detroit Pistons.
One of them is LSU freshman guard Cameron Thomas, who started turning heads at the end of the season and could be a guy the Pistons target.
Thomas could potentially provide something the Pistons need, so here are his strengths and weaknesses, as well as how he might fit on Detroit.
Detroit Pistons: Cameron Thomas’ strengths and weaknesses
Cameron Thomas is a walking bucket, it’s that simple.
This kid is one of the best pure scorers in the NCAA this year, averaging 23 points per game as a freshman and doing it from all three levels.
He has good size for a shooting guard at 6-foot-4, 210 lbs. and will likely get even stronger as he fills out with age.
He projects as a guy who will be a productive scorer at the next level and even though he didn’t shoot lights out from 3-point range in college, should be able to add that shot to his game in the NBA where his usage rate will not be as high and he won’t be getting double teamed every time he touches the ball.
What I like about Thomas is that he already has the feel of a big game player who is not afraid of tough competition or the big stage. He played very well in the tournament and looked like one of the best scorers in college basketball in LSU’s two games.
The downside to Thomas is that he is not considered a strong defender and doesn’t really make many plays for teammates.
He was mostly an isolation scorer in college and wasn’t particularly efficient scoring the ball, as he was taking over 17 shots per game to get his points.
He is not a complete prospect, which is why he’ll drop in the NBA Draft, but he already does some things the Detroit Pistons could use.
How Cameron Thomas fits on the Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are just 24th in the NBA in scoring, so they will be looking for guys in the second round who can put the ball in the bucket.
You can say what you want about Thomas’ defense and playmaking but you can’t deny that the kid can flat-out score.
I see him being a guy who could come off the bench and be an impact scorer, especially if he continues to improve from behind the 3-point line.
This is why his defense doesn’t concern me as much, as he won’t be playing huge minutes right away and instead could be that lighting-in-a-bottle type scorer that the Pistons currently lack.
Frank Jackson has been that guy at times but Thomas projects to be a much-better offensive player, especially once he has matured.
The Pistons’ defense is already in the top half of the league and should get even better as guys like Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart continue to improve.
So I’d love to see Troy Weaver draft someone who can score, and Thomas might be worth giving up several second-round picks to get, as he can totally be that guy.
Thomas could be the bench scorer the Detroit Pistons need and would be a nice complement to guys like Josh Jackson and Hamidou Diallo, who are more defensive-minded.