The Detroit Pistons have the 5th and 46th picks in the 2022 NBA Draft, which figures to be a wild one.
Not only is there no consensus top player, but you can barely get agreement on the top three, as some experts believe the best player will fall outside of the “Big 3.”
This could lead to more movement than normal, as teams think they might be able to move back, grab an asset and still get the guy they like in the draft.
I think there is a slight chance the Pistons will move up in the draft, but it is far more likely that they would move down, as Troy Weaver has said that there are at least seven players in the 2022 NBA Draft that the Pistons would be comfortable choosing.
If the Detroit Pistons are going to make a draft day trade, there are a few interesting possibilities in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference.
These are all just hypotheticals, and while they are all long shots to actually happen, it will give you an idea of what might be out there for the Detroit Pistons when it comes to trades in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Detroit Pistons draft: 1 trade with every team in the Southeast
Miami Heat
The Heat are one win away from a return to the NBA Finals and have one impact shooter the Detroit Pistons may be able to get for a lowball price.
Why the Heat would do it: Duncan Robinson has played sparingly in the playoffs and the Heat will be desperate to get off his contract this offseason, as it runs through the 2025-26 season and they have a much cheaper option in Max Strus, who is also younger. The Heat had to forfeit their second-round pick in 2022, so would recoup one with the 46th pick, and add two more future 2nd-round picks as well. No one is going to give up much for Robinson, especially now, as the Heat have absolutely no leverage.
Why the Pistons would do it: There are definitely pros and cons to a guy like Robinson, as he does offer one skill the Pistons need (shooting) but is making $16.9, 18.1, 19.4, 19.8 million over the next four seasons, though the last season is not fully guaranteed. The Pistons would be using up most of their available cap space in such a move, so they’d have to be sure that Robinson was not in a downslide in his career at age 28. Even at this low price, it would be a lot for the Pistons to take on without sending a contract back.
Detroit Pistons draft: 1 trade with every team in the Southeast
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are an interesting team, as they have both the 13th and 15th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and will be desperate to get off at least one of their big contracts so that they can add some impact talent. They’ve been hovering around the 9th spot and two more late lottery picks probably aren’t going to change that.
Why the Hornets would do it: This trade would not only give the Hornets an impact player who would improve their perimeter defense, but they’d get off of Hayward’s contract (which runs a year longer than Grant’s) and save roughly $10 million this season and then have a massive amount of cap space in 2023 when there are more desirable free agents. This would allow the Hornets to get better next season and would set them up to be major players in the free agency market.
Why the Pistons would do it: If the Trail Blazers end up thinking the 7th pick is too high a price to pay for Grant, then the Hornets might be the next best option, as the Pistons could still find impact players in this range in the draft. They’d be stuck with the oft-injured and wildly overpaid Hayward for two seasons but if he is healthy, he’s a nice fit with Cade Cunningham and the rest of their young core. The Pistons could take two players like Tari Eason and Mark Williams here, getting Grant’s replacement and adding to their big man depth. Taking a bad contract into their cap space is one way the Detroit Pistons could add assets outside of free agency.
Detroit Pistons draft: 1 trade with every team in the Southeast
Washington Wizards
The Wizards are in the purgatory of the NBA, as they are not good, not terrible and have a huge decision to make on a potential extension for Bradley Beal. To be honest, the Wizards might be in the worst spot of any team in the NBA, as they have little young talent and may soon have two guys eating up the vast majority of their payroll. They remind me of many of the Andre Drummond-era Pistons teams, as they weren’t good enough to compete but not bad enough to tank. Good luck, Wizards!
The only way I see a move with the Wizards is if the Pistons made an additional trade to get another pick. So in this scenario, the Pistons have already traded Jerami Grant to Portland for the 7th pick, which the Detroit Pistons will now flip to Washington.
Why the Wizards would do it: Moving up in the 2022 NBA Draft gives the Wizards a better chance to land an impact talent, which is something they desperately need. They are gambling that whoever they take at this spot will be better than Avdija or the guy they can get with the 10th pick. If the Wizards are going to extend Beal, they need to add good players around him right away, as he is in the prime of his career and they don’t have any more years to waste.
Why the Pistons would do it: Detroit would probably prefer to get another future first round pick in this deal instead of Avdija, but the versatile 21-year-old would give them another lottery talent who has a lot of upside. They would still get a top-10 pick to grab a guy like Duren, Eason or Williams to go along with the 5th pick. This would give the Detroit Pistons more depth on the wing, which they need without sacrificing much.
Detroit Pistons draft: 1 trade with every team in the Southeast
Orlando Magic
The Magic are sitting pretty with a nice young core and the #1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Detroit Pistons don’t have the assets to move up that much, but the Magic do have a surplus of centers, one of which might be a fit in Detroit.
Why the Magic would do it: The Magic already have a lot of money tied up in bigs Jonathan Isaac and Wendell Carter Jr. not to mention the #1 pick on the way who is likely to be another power forward.
They would do this because they are not likely to retain restricted free agent Mo Bamba and this would be a way for them to at least get something for him rather than letting him walk for nothing.
Why the Pistons would do it: The Pistons could certainly just make an offer for Bamba in restricted free agency and see if they can steal him away if they really want him, but doing a sign-and-trade would allow them to get Bamba without having to go through the process of restricted free agency. Bamba is not an elite center, but would allow the Pistons take take a center by committee approach with three guys with varying skillsets who are all on reasonable contracts.
Like I said, these are just hypotheticals that are unlikely to happen, but they do show the wealth of options the Detroit Pistons have in the 2022 NBA Draft.