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Detroit Pistons: 5 best options for pick No. 1

By Stuart London

Cade Cunningham should be the primary draft target for the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Cade Cunningham should be the primary draft target for the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Jaeln Suggs Detroit Pistons
Jaeln Suggs Detroit Pistons /

April 5, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Suggs (1). Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5 option for Detroit Pistons No. 1 draft choice: Jalen Suggs and a future first-rounder

Most experts say there are four potential stars in this years draft. Jalen Suggs had the most successful collegiate career and probably is more NBA-ready than any other top prospect.

The 6-foot-4 Minnesota native helped lead Gonzaga to the NCAA finals and showed he can be counted on in the clutch with a buzzer-beater against UCLA in the semifinals.

However, outside shooting is actually his main weakness. Suggs only made 33.7 percent of his three-point attempts in college.

A fairly tall point guard who is not a great outside shooter is NOT something the Pistons need. They already have that in last year’s No. 1 pick, Killian Hayes.

But, as Weaver has pointed out, teams that go 20-52 should not care about fit.

Suggs is a winner, can handle the ball and score, is quick and athletic. He is a born leader and, at 20-years-old, still has a lot of upside. He is not a great shooter from beyond the arc, but he is money in the mid-range.

To get Suggs, the Pistons would have to remain in the top four of the draft. The Toronto Raptors have the No. 4 pick.

Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri is one of the sharpest in the league. He knows having a pick this high is a rare opportunity for a franchise just two years removed from an NBA championship.

Unusual circumstances, like a COVID breakout, injuries and playing its home games in Florida, have gifted them with a much higher draft choice than they will probably have in the future (at least Toronto fans hope).

So what if Ujiri gives Weaver a call, the offer:

Toronto does not have a lot of future draft picks stashed away (see Option No. 2 for that), put they can give the Pistons everything they have.

Also, Detroit is desperate for shooting. A promising young, tall, athletic three-point sniper like Gary Trent Jr. is exactly the type Weaver wants. He would be a must throw-in to any trade.

Basically, it would be Jalen Suggs and Gary Trent Jr. and a future No. 1 for Cunningham. Is that good enough to pry the No. 1 draft choice from Detroit?

Odds of Pistons doing it: 30/1