The Detroit Pistons will be looking for various ways to get better using the NBA Draft.
Obviously they are going to use the number one pick to take the best player, and most agree that is Cade Cunningham, a 6-foot-8 point guard with superstar potential.
But after that it’s anyone’s guess, as the Pistons still have three picks in the second round and may try to use them to make a trade into the first round or pick up a veteran player.
We looked at potential NBA Draft trades with the Northwest Division and there were some good ones, particularly with the Timberwolves and Trail Blazers.
The Southwest Division isn’t nearly as fruitful, in fact, I couldn’t even come up with a trade with the San Antonio Spurs that seemed to help either team, so we’ll just be looking at the Rockets, Pelicans, Grizzlies and Mavericks.
There is some potential here for the Detroit Pistons to get better via trades with the Southwest Division. Let’s start from the bottom and work our way up.
Detroit Pistons: NBA Draft trade with the Houston Rockets
The Rockets are suddenly a rebuilding team and finished with the worst overall record in the NBA. But they still have some talent and could go in a number of directions. I could see them blowing it up, trading their veterans and building around a young team with Jae’Sean Tate, Christian Wood and whoever they take with the number two pick in the NBA Draft.
The Rockets also have the 23rd and 24th pick in the first round and could move one of them for future assets.
In this trade, the Rockets get to take on a young project and get off of D.J. Augustin’s contract, which runs for two more seasons though the second is not guaranteed. They also get the Pistons 37th pick in NBA Draft.
The Pistons get a veteran point guard to put on the bench, a guy who can add some experience to the position, as the Pistons will be rolling out two teenagers. In exchange for taking on the bigger contract and giving up the younger player with the higher ceiling, the Pistons move into the first round and get the 24th pick.