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Detroit Pistons draft: Troy Weaver puts on a masterclass

By Gibson Lowenberg

NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) and Jaden Ivey pose for photos after Ivey was drafted with the 5th overall pick by the Detroit Pistons during the 2022 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) and Jaden Ivey pose for photos after Ivey was drafted with the 5th overall pick by the Detroit Pistons during the 2022 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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Many expected the Detroit Pistons to be one of the teams to come away as a winner in the 2022 NBA Draft as they held the fifth overall pick and held plenty of trade assets.

Not only did they walk away as a clear winner of the draft, but they may have received the most value out of any team for what they gave up.

GM Troy Weaver has a great history of finding incredible talent through the draft, helping make the decisions for the Thunder for over ten years in an era where the Thunder got value from nearly every pick.

Detroit Pistons: The Jerami Grant trade got things started

In a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Pistons received three picks in exchange for Jerami Grant.

The Pistons were able to flip the 2025 1st-rounder (via Milwaukee) for Jalen Duren in exchange for taking on Kemba Walker’s contract.

Duren is a player whose playstyle meshes perfectly with the culture the Detroit Pistons are trying to establish.

Wild draft night for the Detroit Pistons. light. Related Story

Essentially, they got Jalen Duren, ten spots higher in the second round, and a future pick for a 2025 first round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks and a player that was not in the future plans. Insane value for a pick that may not be worth too much, as the Bucks are still likely to be good in three years.

The Pistons also used their own picks to make a splash in the draft.

Jaden Ivey was selected with the fifth pick in the draft, a high-flying guard with plenty of upside that fits this roster perfectly.

Ivey is a player that has family ties to Detroit and has wanted to play for the Pistons for a while, being one of the two teams that he worked out with, the other being the Orlando Magic who had the first overall pick.

Detroit Pistons fans should ecstatic with Jaden Ivey coming to join rising superstars Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey.

This is before taking into consideration their second-round pick, which the Pistons used to draft Gabriele Procida.

The Italian forward is mostly praised for his ability to shoot from deep but still has a high ceiling in other areas as well.

They add plenty of versatility and quickness to the roster as well as spacing without giving anything too valuable up in their various trades other than Jerami Grant, a player who didn’t fit the long-term plan either way.

For where the Pistons selected, what they traded for the picks, and the value they got out of said picks, they definitely got the most talent for the least amount of assets.

In terms of highest return, the Detroit Pistons may have received the most talent for what they had and what they gave up. Incredible draft for Troy Weaver.

Next. Get your Jaden Ivey gear here. dark