Thunder could be the team to screw Detroit Pistons in the 2022 NBA Draft

The Detorit Pistons have the 5th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and could have some competition for the guy they want.

The Pistons’ top target is still a mystery but most draft experts think that it will be either Keegan Murray, Jaden Ivey or Shaedon Sharpe.

Ivey makes sense, especially if the Pistons don’t trade Jerami Grant, and his recent statement that he wants to come to Detroit, could make him even more desirable.

One of those three players will almost certainly be available unless there are some crazy trades at the top of the draft, so if the Detroit Pistons are happy taking any of them, then they will likely have their choice of two of the three.

With the top-3 pretty close to a lock, the Sacramento Kings will hold all of the cards with the 4th pick. It’s possible that the Pistons could trade up to get it, especially if Ivey is still there, but it’s also possible that there will be another team in the mix.

Detroit Pistons: OKC Thunder are a team to watch in the 2022 NBA Draft

If the Pistons are happy to take Keegan Murray, Shaedon Sharpe or Bennedict Mathurin, then they will likely get their chance to do so, as it increasingly looks like Ivey will go in the top-four, whether the Kings trade the pick or not.

The Kings have expressed their desire to get a “win now” type of player, which could put the Pistons in the running, as they have Jerami Grant, who fits in that mold, but they’d likely have to give up the 5th pick as well, so it may not be worth it.

There are also reports that OKC is “aggressively” pursuing a trade for Jaden Ivey, so if he is there when the Kings pick, expect OKC to make an offer. The Thunder have three picks in the first round and could use one of them, plus a young player to move up and have both the 2nd and 4th picks:

In this trade, the Kings get a “win now” player in Dort who is still just 23-years-old, though he will be on an expiring contract. They also get a pick in the lottery, so will still get to add a young player to go with Dort.

The Kings would probably want pick #30 as well, which the Thunder may be willing to part with if they are really after Ivey.

In this scenario the Thunder walk away from the 2022 NBA Draft with both Chet Holmgren and Jaden Ivey, which would give them the best young core in the NBA and potentially make SGA expendable in a trade.

It’s hard to know if the Pistons’ reported interest in Ivey is just a smokescreen to hide their true intensions, but if they want to pair him with Cade Cunningham, they are likely to have competition other than just the Kings.