The Detroit Pistons currently own the 5th and 46th picks in the 2022 NBA Draft, and the pool of players just got a little bit smaller.
Yesterday was the deadline for players to withdraw from the draft, and there were a few notable names.
Players can now test the waters and get a sense of where they might be drafted before making a more informed decision about whether to stay in school, go to the G-League, back overseas or potentially stay in the draft.
According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, here is the list of players who withdrew their names before the deadline, as well as the players who decided to stay in the draft:
WITHDRAWING FROM THE 2022 NBA DRAFT at the 5pm ET DEADLINE:
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 13, 2022
Leonard Miller
Zvonimir Ivisic
Matthew Strazel
Zsombor Maronka
Malcolm Cazalon
Fedor Zugic
Mario Nakic https://t.co/NhuKLwIrbF
Of the players leaving, Leonard Miller stands out, as he was one of the draft’s fastest risers and a possibility for the Detroit Pistons in the second round.
Of the players staying, Gabriele Procida is a guy I’ve written about as a possibility for the Pistons, but several others have second-round potential for Detroit.
Detroit Pistons draft: Who was invited to the NBA Green Room?
The NBA generally invites around 15 guys to join the live telecast in the Green Room. This can lead to a lot of drama (which I am sure is the point) as guys rise or fall in the draft and have emotional celebrations with their families and loved ones.
It can also lead to some awkward situations where guys are announced and put on hats of teams that have already traded away their rights, or get drafted to a team that they clearly don’t want to play for.
This year, the NBA invited 16 players who are widely considered to be the top players in the 2022 NBA Draft:
16 confirmed NBA draft green room invites thus far, per sources:
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 13, 2022
Jabari Smith
Chet Holmgren
Paolo Banchero
Jaden Ivey
Keegan Murray
Shaedon Sharpe
Dyson Daniels
Ben Mathurin
AJ Griffin
Jalen Duren
Johnny Davis
Ousmane Dieng
Jeremy Sochan
Ochai Agbaji
Mark Williams
Malaki Branham
I thought the one notable omission here was Tari Eason, who is ranked higher on a lot of draft boards and seems like the guy who will have a solid two-way impact right away. Ochai Agbaji may be a bit of a reach here, but his shooting could also make him the next Chris Duarte.
All of the prospects attached the Detroit Pistons will be in attendance and it is almost certain that someone on this list will be joining the team this summer.
The 2022 NBA Draft is just over a week away and the field is starting to narrow for the Pistons.