Could the Detroit Pistons trade up in the 2022 NBA Draft?

Detroit Pistons: A 2022 NBA Draft trade with the Sacramento Kings

This is a trade I’ve seen discussed in some form that does make sense for both teams depending on how the top-3 of the draft goes.

In this trade, the Pistons use Jerami Grant and the 5th pick to move up one spot while taking back center Richaun Holmes.

The Kings may view this as a way to make themselves a playoff contender (or at least play-in) while still getting a top-5 pick to add a young talent.

The Pistons would be getting a serviceable veteran center on a decent contract, pick up some additional cap space and get to move up one spot to assure they got the guy they wanted in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The only way I can see this happening is if there is a shakeup in the top-3 and the guy who falls is the player Troy Weaver envisions as being the perfect 2nd guy to put with Cade Cunningham.

Otherwise, I can’t see the Pistons trading the better player and taking on three more seasons of Holmes, though his contract isn’t bad. But if the Pistons could potentially get Grant’s replacement (if Banchero, Holmgren or Smith fell to four), while also getting an upgrade to their big-man group, it would be tempting.

That’s a whole lot of “ifs” so it will really come down to whether the Kings think Grant is enough of an upgrade to move back.

The most likely scenario is that all of these teams just take the player they think is best, but we have seen shocking draft-day trades in the past, and with no clear favorite, this might be a year when it could happen again.