The Detroit Pistons are once-again in the unfortunate position of dreaming about the draft lottery instead of preparing for the playoffs.
Detroit currently has the third-worst record in the NBA, though they aren’t far ahead of the Houston Rockets who have lost 11 in a row and look to be tanking in earnest even though the season is just over halfway completed.
The race for Victor Wembanyama is well and truly on, as the bad teams and their fans dream of landing the guy who can turn their franchise around.
But the second pick could also yield a high-level star, as many think Scoot Henderson is the best point-guard prospect since Kyrie Irving and is another guy who a team can build around.
The Detroit Pistons already have ball-dominant guards in Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Killian Hayes, but Scoot Henderson may be too good to pass on even though he isn’t the clearest fit.
But can a team really build around all of those guards? This question is especially important when you consider the Detroit Pistons have a big hole at small forward and could use a wing who can shoot and defend as part of their core.
Brandon Miller is one such player, and a guy who is rapidly moving up draft boards thanks to his ability to hit shots from just about anywhere on the floor:
I’ve seen enough. Brandon Miller is moving up to #3 on my Big Board. The size, shooting versatility and production on a winning team can’t be overlooked anymore. I believe we’ll see more of him as a pull up shot maker off the dribble in the NBA. https://t.co/1SpU4teAqi
— Rafael Barlowe (@Barlowe500) January 15, 2023
On paper, he is a better fit with what the Detroit Pistons already have, and he is playing real games against top competition, unlike some of the wings in Overtime Elite.
So if the Detroit Pistons do luck out and get the 2nd pick, would they just take Scoot Henderson or would they look for other options? They would have plenty on the table.
Detroit Pistons: Options for the 2nd pick in the draft
Conventional wisdom says that you do not draft for need in the top-3, as you need to land a player who can be a foundational piece, so you just grab the guy with the most talent. I agree with this and wouldn’t hesitate to take Henderson, as he has the skillset to eventually be the best point guard in the league.
I think you have to just take the best player and worry about fit later, so if Troy Weaver thinks Henderson is that guy, that’s probably what he’ll do.
But if he has someone else close on his draft board, there would be options.
The first would be to trade down with one of the other teams in the top ten. Since Henderson is considered in a higher tier than anyone below him, the Pistons may be able to reap a ton of assets by trading down.
What if they could move that 2nd pick for the 7th pick and OG Anunoby?
There are a number of teams that would be willing to trade up to get that second pick, so the Detroit Pistons could cash it in, still get a top pick but also add a known commodity on the wing.
Another option would be to take Scoot Henderson and then trade one of their guards. The Pistons don’t need four young guards, so at that point, moving Jaden Ivey or Killian Hayes might make sense.
Packaging either of those two could also be a way to land the wing that they need. Ivey would be the most likely choice, only because he is the better player with more upside and there are a lot of teams out there who would like to have him, especially if he finishes the season on a high note and makes the All-Rookie first team, which is likely.
The Detroit Pistons would be in a great position either way, as they not only would walk away with a high pick but also potentially more assets.
It really just depends on one factor.
Detroit Pistons: The Jaden Ivey factor
There are so many variables here, and a lot of it just depends on dumb luck, as the Detroit Pistons only have a 27.4 percent chance of landing in the top-2 of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Another variable is Jaden Ivey, who has flashed signs of stardom this season. We often get enamored with the unknown, as hope is the proverbial carrot in front of the donkey for fans of the bad teams, but giving up Ivey (a guy we know can play in the NBA) for an exciting unknown would carry some amount of risk.
The Pistons would not only have to be pretty sure Henderson was eventually going to be the better player, but that he is a better long-term fit with Cade Cunningham, which is not a given.
We know Cade likes to have the ball in his hands and be the primary playmaker for his team, as does Henderson, and they are both good at it. Both guys have natural playmaking instincts, are unselfish passers, but also players who can take over a game with their scoring.
Both have three-live scoring capability but can eat in the mid-range, so there are questions about how Cunningham and Henderson would fit.
This is a problem the Detroit Pistons hope to have, as netting the second pick would give them a ton of options that could really speed up the team-building process and land them another young star, as well as additional assets.