2022 NBA Draft Lottery: 3 results Pistons should be rooting for

The Detroit Pistons should hope the Thunder luck out

I’m tired of Sam Presti hoarding picks until he finally starts to win. I know he won’t stop hoarding picks, so he might as well win so he can finally stop. If the Thunder (who have the fourth-best odds) manage to find a star to pair with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, then Presti might start dealing his picks for veteran talent to surround the young stars with.

Talent like Cory Joseph and Jerami Grant, for some draft picks, could immediately make the Thunder better. Maybe Oklahoma City wants a reunion with Grant or Hamidou Diallo, who could come off the bench for a young team on the rise. It’s a bit of a reach, but having a new possible trade partner in the West could be beneficial. Especially one that owns the rights to Detroit’s 2023 first-round pick, with protections. For the right package, the Pistons could get some picks back for players who have a dwindling role on the roster.

Of course, all of this is contingent on the Thunder actually making a pick that finally ends their rebuild, which is pretty likely. The Thunder doing well also fits with the Western Conference as a whole doing well. The only downside is with Josh Giddey and Shai in the backcourt, the Thunder are likely to select a player the Pistons would want. If the Thunder draft is in the top three, but Detroit drafts ahead of them, that would be a double win for the Pistons, who are long overdue for something good to happen.

The best-case scenario for Detroit would be the fourth team to ever win the lottery two seasons in a row, but even if they don’t, there are some results that could help them.