The Detroit Pistons will enter the 2022 NBA Draft lottery with the best possible odds to land the number one pick, but they have slightly higher odds of walking away with the 5th.
The Pistons have a 14.8 percent chance of ending up with number five, the second-highest odds of any individual pick.
The 2022 NBA Draft has three guys who most rate a level above the rest, and after that top 3-4 things get debatable.
This draft is not necessarily deep with guys who profile as superstars, but there are quality players throughout and the drop off from the 5th pick to the 15th may not be as steep as some seasons.
As always, I used one random spin of the Tankathon lottery simulator to decide the fate of the Detroit Pistons.
So what would the Detroit Pistons do if they dropped to the 5th pick? Let’s find out.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #1
You’ll see a lot of speculation about the number one pick, but in the end, Holmgren’s combination of defense and offensive skill will be too much to pass up, especially if the Magic get the number one pick.
Adding a dynamic big with Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs makes way too much sense and would give Orlando one of the best young cores in the NBA.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #2
The Houston Rockets are building around shooting guard Jalen Green, and adding a guy like Jabari Smith would speed up that process and give the Rockets two dynamic scorers.
Smith is a 6-foot-10 forward who will make day-one impact on both ends, as he can flat-out shoot the ball and has the length and size to effectively defend multiple positions.
This would give the Rockets a collection of skilled bigs who aren’t the greatest defenders, so they’d probably prefer to get Chet Holmgren here, but if they don’t land the number one pick, Smith could definitely be their guy.
If this happens expect a lot of high-scoring Rockets’ games next season, as the Rockets had the worst defense in the league this season and just piled on more offense.
NBA Mock Draft: Pick #3
The Indiana Pacers jump up two spots and leapfrog the Detroit Pistons in this mock draft, giving them the third pick.
I have a feeling the top-3 may not go to scratch and if the Pacers were to jump over the Detroit Pistons, they could go against conventional wisdom and take Jaden Ivey here.
On paper, this might not make sense, as they already have four good guards in Tyrese Haliburton, Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield and Chris Duarte.
But the temptation to pair Haliburton with a young, dynamic two-guard will be too much, especially when Ivey is from Indiana and played his college basketball with Purdue.
The Pacers, much like the Detroit Pistons, are not a team that generally draws many free agents, so getting a local guy who wants to be there will matter. I think if Indiana jumps up, they’ll take Ivey.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #4
The Trail Blazers would be ecstatic if things worked out this way, as they too jumped a couple of spots to leapfrog the Detroit Pistons in the 2022 NBA Draft.
There has been heavy rumor that Portland will try to trade their lottery pick for Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons, but if they were to jump into the top-4 there is zero chance of that happening, as there is no way Grant is worth a top-4 pick.
Instead, the Blazers just take Banchero, who falls into their laps after the Pacers take Ivey. The Trail Blazers need talent at power forward and Banchero would immediately be a weapon in the two-man game with Damian Lillard.
This would also allow Portland to use their cap space and trade exception to go after a guy like Zach LaVine in an effort to reload around Lillard as soon as possible.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Detroit Pistons get Pick #5
The Detroit Pistons are rumored to like Keegan Murray as a prospect, so if they drop to 5th, I think he will be the guy, even though Shaedon Sharpe is also a nice fit.
The 6-foot-8 forward might be the most NBA-ready prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft, as he will be nearly 22-years-old and already has a strong all-around game.
Murray can score from all three levels efficiently and is a plus athlete who can get out and run. He shot just under 40 percent from 3-point range on 4.7 attempts per game and averaged 23.5 points, so he would help the Detroit Pistons’ with their huge needs for shooting and scoring.
Fans of the Detroit Pistons would love Murray, as he is a hard worker who hustles and makes a lot of little plays that lead to wins.
Drafting Murray would still allow the Pistons to trade Jerami Grant if they wanted to and he would slot into the starting lineup on day one. Adding an athletic forward who can shoot around Cade Cunningham makes a lot of sense for the Pistons, who can now use their cap space to go after a starting two guard or an upgrade at center.
NBA Mock Draft: Pick #6
The OKC Thunder have some nice talent but still look to be in tank mode, as they did it more egregiously than any team this season.
Grabbing a shooter like AJ Griffin makes sense here, but the Thunder will reach for high-ceiling talent instead, grabbing dynamic guard Shaedon Sharpe.
Sharpe may end up being the best player in this draft, as he was the number one high school prospect in the country this season before entering Kentucky early and not playing.
The Thunder already have two dynamic playmakers in Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Sharpe would fit right in, as he is more of a scorer and guy who will run the floor and catch lobs.
No team is as patient as the Thunder, so it makes sense for them to go for the high-ceiling scorer to put with all of their skill guys and let him develop.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #7
AJ Griffin would be a perfect fit on a team that already has a dynamic backcourt and an All-Star big man in Domantas Sabonis.
The Kings could use more depth at the forward position and need an injection of 3-point shooting, so Griffin is the clear choice here as one of the best shooting prospects in the draft.
Griffin shot 44 percent from 3-point range this season and Sacramento was near the bottom of the league, so he’d be an immediate upgrade and give Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox more space to operate.
The Kings seem to have no earthly idea of what they are doing (shocker) so it wouldn’t be surprising for them to pass on the prospect that makes the most sense.
NBA Mock Draft: Pick #8
Due to some savvy wheeling and dealing and a whole lot of luck, the New Orleans Pelicans end up with the 8th pick even though they made the playoffs this season. It’s fun to watch the Lakers’ suffer, so I hope the Pels get a great player with this pick, which at one time belonged to LA.
Mathurin would give the Pelicans another tall scorer to go along with Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III, and be the icing on the cake for a team that is ready to compete now and will be getting Zion Williamson back next season.
Mathurin would give the Pelicans a much-needed boost of 3-point shooting and guy who can create more space for Zion and BI to operate.
There is a strong possibility that the Pelicans will trade out of this spot, as they could try to make one more trade for a high-quality veteran and go into next season with one of the most loaded rosters in the league and chance to compete for a title.
Things are looking bright in New Orleans, as they are good now and have a lot more talent coming thanks to the Anthony Davis trade that is the gift that keeps on giving.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #9
The Spurs could go in a lot of directions in the 2022 NBA Draft, as they have good young talent up and down their roster.
Without a clear chance at a star, they will go for a guy who fits their mold as a versatile forward who can defend, rebound and shoot.
Eason projects to be one of the better defenders in the draft and would give the Spurs a much-needed boost of toughness.
The Spurs went for Josh Primo last draft, much to the surprise of everyone, and could make another surprising pick here. Just about anything is on the table fo the Spurs in the 2022 NBA Draft.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #10
The Wizards entire offseason will hinge on what they do with Bradley Beal, so if they are able to extend him this offseason Washington is a good call, but if they aren’t, they could go with a guard like Johnny Davis here.
Washington is probably the best point guard prospect in a draft that isn’t deep at the position. Washington is a guy who takes care of the ball and can score, though he projects to be more of a facilitator in the NBA, especially if he ends up on a team with Bradley Beal.
Washington is in the gray area between trying to compete and rebuild and is going to have to make some changes this offseason, so don’t be surprised if Bradley Beal ends up traded.
NBA Mock Draft: Pick #11
The Knicks are a hot mess again and need help just about everywhere. They are a team that would probably love to swing some trades this offseason, but good luck with that, as I can’t see too many teams lined up to take on the contracts of Julius Randle or Evan Fournier.
The Knicks will gladly grab shooting guard Johnny Davis here, who would love playing in Madison Square Garden and would immediately be a fan favorite.
He is a quality mid-range scorer and a good defender who could be part of their backcourt of the future with Immanuel Quickley, though it seems the Knicks like QO more off the bench.
The Knicks could also go for a center here to replace Mitchell Robinson if he walks, but will go for Davis, who has a slightly higher ceiling than any of the centers in this draft.
NBA Mock Draft: Pick #12
The Thunder will have two lottery picks this season and would probably be pretty happy if this is how it turns out.
They already have skill players and now get a banger in Duren to hold down the middle. Duren doesn’t have a lot of offensive skill, but he is a big, strong center who can run the floor and block shots.
He’d be a nice fit with the skilled bigs they already have and give Josh Giddey another lob threat. The Thunder may still be a year or two away (like the Detroit Pistons) but they are building a nice core of young talent and have a chance to fill a need with one of the younger players in the draft.
NBA Mock Draft: Pick #13
It’s hard to say what the Hornets will do here, as they have gotten better the last few seasons but are still on the fringes of the playoffs and just fired their coach.
They already have a couple of young bigs, but PJ Washington could be traded this offseason and Kai Jones is more of a high flying rim runner.
Williams would give Charlotte a more skilled big man to put down low, where he has an impressive and efficient offensive game.
Williams would give Charlotte some much-needed size and a skilled big to work with LaMelo Ball in the pick and roll.
Mock Draft: Pick #14
The Cleveland Cavaliers made a huge leap from the cellar to the play-in this season, which the Detroit Pistons hope to follow.
The Cavs could use an injection of offense, especially if they move on from Collin Sexton, but instead, they will double down on defense, which is what got them to where they are.
Adding a guy like Sochan would give the Cavs yet another long, versatile and switchable defender who would fit right into the culture they are building in Cleveland.
They could try to add a shooter here, but the dynamic Sochan will be too tempting to pass up and might help propel the Cavs to the best defense in the NBA.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #15-20
#15-Charlotte Hornets via New Orleans
Ochai Agbaji: Guard, Kansas
A shooter to put with LaMelo.
#16-Atlanta Hawks
Dyson Daniels: Guard, G-League
A big shooting guard to pair with Trae Young
#17–Rockets via Nets
Ousmane Dieng: Forward, New Zealand
Projects as a defensive prospect, which the Rockets need
#18-Chicago Bulls
Kendall Brown: Forward, Baylor
#19-Minnesota Timberwolves
Kennedy Chandler: Point guard, Tennessee
#20-Spurs via Raptors
E.J. Liddell: Power forward, Ohio State
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #21-30
#21-Denver Nuggets
Patrick Baldwin Jr.: Forward, Milwaukee
#22- Memphis Grizzles via Jazz
Nikola Jovic: Forward, Mega Bemax (Serbia)
#23-Brooklyn Nets via 76ers
Wendell Moore: Forward, Duke
#24-Milwaukee Bucks
Malaki Branham: Shooting guard, Ohio State
#25-San Antonio Spurs via Celtics
Blake Wesley: Guard, Notre Dame
#26-Dallas Mavericks
Jaden Hardy: Guard, G-League
#27-Miami Heat
Trevor Keels: Point guard, Duke
#28-Golden State Warriors
Christian Braun: Guard/wing, Kansas
#29-Memphis Grizzlies
Christian Koloko: Center, Arizona
#30-Thunder via Suns
Jean Montero: Guard, G-League