Should Detroit Pistons take a flyer on this first-round bust?

The Detroit Pistons are once again going nowhere this season, which has been written off as another for rebuilding and development.

It’s not what most of us wanted, but one silver lining to not measuring your season in wins and losses is that it affords the opportunity to take some chances, to sign or trade for underperforming players who might be late bloomers or need a change of scenery to reach their full potential.

The Pistons have tried this with first-round busts like Josh Jackson, Marvin Bagley III and most-recently Kevin Knox, though I wouldn’t say that any of them have really been a success. MBIII has had his moments, but can’t seem to stay on the court, a problem that has plagued him his entire career.

You can argue that all of these guys were wastes of roster spots and resources, but I still like the strategy, as hitting on one of these buy-low guys could be a huge advantage when trying to build a competitive roster.

If you are giving up nothing in return for a guy who was once thought of as a top prospect, it’s really a no-lose situation, so should the Detroit Pistons do it again?

Detroit Pistons: Is Jarrett Culver worth a two-way contract?

The Detroit Pistons have gotten next to nothing from their two-way contracts this season, although Jared Rhoden has been playing well of late. The other is being held by Buddy Boeheim, which seems more like a personal favor from Troy Weaver than a guy who will ever make an NBA roster.

The Atlanta Hawks recently waived guard/wing Jarrett Culver, who they had on a two-way, and he’s a guy who more fits the profile of what the Detroit Pistons need in a prospect. Culver has been an unadulterated bust in the NBA since being drafted 6th overall in 2019 by the Timberwolves.

He showed some promise his rookie season but his minutes and numbers have gone down ever since, culminating with him playing just 10 games for the Hawks this season while going back and forth between the G-League.

But Culver is still just 23-years-old and was projected to be a plus defender coming out of college. He’s 6-foot-6 and athletic with quick hands and good defensive instincts. None of it has translated to the NBA yet, but count me as someone who would rather see a former 6th pick with some defensive upside on a two-way than a shoot-only guard who is a mediocre shooter and can’t defend anyone.

The Detroit Pistons have a well-documented defensive deficiency on the wing and should be looking to add as many prospects as possible at the position that have upside on the defensive end.

Culver is certainly not going to save the Pistons’ woeful defense, but may be worth a look considering it will cost the team nothing but a two-way spot that is currently being wasted anyway.