Detroit Pistons: So who gets benched by No. 1 NBA Draft pick?

If Cade Cunningham is drafted, anyone besides Plumlee could be out

This is not a draft preview, so we are not going to deconstruct Cade Cunningham’s game. You can get that here.

We will say the 6-8, 220-pounder has the size to play anywhere except center.

Basically  who would the Pistons like to replace? You can slip Cunningham into their spot without losing a beat (except maybe Jerami Grant’s, we say maybe on that).

So who gets kicked to the bench? You do not have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure it out:

The two guys currently playing on Team USA? Nope. Grant and Bey are safe.

Cunningham is not a center, so Plumlee stays in the middle.

Killian Hayes was the No. 7 pick in the draft last year. Do you think the Pistons want to admit that was a mistake after one, injury-plagued year? Nope.

Hamiduo you have a problem. You will not be starting anymore.

On the NBA calendar, free agency is after the draft. Diallo is a restricted free agent. That means he can sign with any NBA team, but Detroit can keep him by matching the salary.

With no pathway, it appears, to being in the starting lineup, there will probably be some interesting conversations between Diallo’s agent and general manager Troy Weaver. Would Diallo, even if his price is met, want to come back to a team where he has no path to starting?

This will be one of the interesting side stories if Cunningham is drafted. There is no question Cunningham will start, the fans (oh yeah, there will be fans at games again) would have a hissy fit if he did not.

Of course, if the starting lineup had not gone 20-52, the Pistons would not have had a chance to get the No. 1 pick for the first time in 51 years.  So, whoever gets knocked out, they really only have themselves to blame.