The Detroit Pistons have been connected to a lot of rumors in the 2022 NBA Draft.
This is mostly because of the possibility of a Jerami Grant trade, which could bring back a second pick in the first round, but there has also been speculation that the Pistons could trade back.
They have a lot of options, especially in a draft where there isn’t a clear-cut consensus on who the top guys are outside of the top-3.
We’ve been reading and hearing various reports about different guys who have worked out for the Pistons, or insiders telling us who the Pistons “love.”
Some of this is just the team doing their due diligence but there is also some gamesmanship involved, as it might benefit the Pistons if a team thinks they are high on a prospect who is atop their Big Board.
Some of the chatter is legit interest and some is a smokescreen that could help Detroit gain some leverage in a trade.
Here are the four players the Detroit Pistons have been connected to the most, and whether that interest real or a smokescreen.
Pistons draft: Interest in the top-4 prospects
In a recent breakdown of expert picks, three names were mentioned the most in connection to the Pistons: Jaden Ivey, Shaedon Sharpe, and Keegan Murray. I am going to add Bennedict Mathurin to this list, as I have seen name connected to Detroit as well.
Let’s start with Mathurin, who is the least likely to be drafted by the Pistons with the 5th pick.
Bennedict Mathurin: Real, but not for the 5th pick
I think Mathurin is a possibility if the Pistons were to trade Jerami Grant and have two picks in the top-10, but he seems a reach with the 5th pick, though CBS and others have put him there in mock drafts.
It’s very likely Mathurin will be there later in the draft, so I see the Pistons’ interest as real, but only if they trade back or get another pick.
Pistons draft: Interest in the top-4 prospects
Keegan Murray: Real
Murray seems like a Troy Weaver guy to me, as he is a tough defender with a high motor, and he has a skillset the Pistons desperately need, namely, efficient scoring from all three levels.
A guy who defends multiple spots, runs the floor in transition and can knock down nearly 40 percent of his 3-point shots would fit well with Cade Cunningham, who needs more athletes who can spread the floor around him.
If the Pistons were to trade Grant, Murray would slot in as an immediate replacement and would allow the Pistons to potentially take the best guard available if they got a pick in exchange for Grant.
Murray is possibly the most NBA-ready player projected to go in the top-5, which might also appeal to a team that wants to add elite talent, but may not want to wait three years for it to develop.
Shaedon Sharpe: Smokescreen
Although Sharpe is certainly an intriguing prospect, it’s hard to see the Pistons rolling the dice on him with the 5th pick.
If they were to trade back or get a second pick, then Sharpe would certainly be an option but Weaver has to walk away from this draft with at least one guy who can contribute next season, and Sharpe may not be that guy.
That being said, if Weaver thinks he’s the best player, he’ll take him, but with such limited film and footage to look at, Sharpe has the biggest boom/bust potential of projected lottery picks.
Sharpe is a guy who will have more appeal the further he falls, so if a team like New Orleans (who doesn’t need a player to contribute right away and had Sharpe for a workout recently) or San Antonio really wants him, then Detroit could possibly move back and grab extra assets.
But they gain leverage if those teams think the Pistons are high on him, so it makes sense to see them connected, even if Detroit has no plans to take him with the 5th pick.
Now that I have written this, the Pistons will probably take Sharpe, but adding a guy who hasn’t played above high school seems too big a risk for a top-5 pick.
Pistons draft: Interest in the top-4 prospects
Jaden Ivey: Both
Recently David Aldridge of the Athletic (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED) said that Detroit “loves Ivey,” which is interesting because just the week before, the same publication said the Pistons were “hot and cold” on Ivey.
These aren’t necessarily contradictory and I am sure the Pistons have some level of interest in Ivey, who is an electric player and a potential fit with Cade Cunningham.
But if Ivey falls to Detroit at five, he’s going to be the hottest commodity left in the draft, and there might be a number of teams that would trade up to get him, including the Indiana Pacers, who pick just behind the Pistons.
If Ivey were to fall, the Pistons might just take him, but if the Pacers or some other team were to offer up their pick plus another asset or two, the Pistons could also trade down, so it is in their best interest for everyone to think their interest level in Ivey is sky-high and that they’ll need to be heavily compensated for not drafting him.
So there is a little smokescreen here, as well as legit interest, as Detroit would probably be happy to walk away from this draft with Ivey, but could drum up an offer that is too good to pass up.