The Detroit Pistons loss to the Houston Rockets last night gives them a high probability of ending with the worst record in the NBA. Yay.
The tank has been a “success,” though still only guarantees the Detroit Pistons a 14 percent chance of the dream scenario where they land the #1 pick and add Victor Wembanyama to a team with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.
The problem is that there is nearly a 60 percent chance that the Detroit Pistons end up with the 4th or 5th pick, which would be devastating to a fanbase that has taken its lumps the last four seasons.
The first spin of the old Tankathon simulator played the odds this time and the Detroit Pistons once again found themselves falling in the NBA Draft Lottery.
So in a draft that has one generational talent and two guys who have separated themselves from the pack, what happens if the Detroit Pistons choose 4th?
2023 NBA Mock Draft
There hasn’t been a number one pick this certain since Zion Williamson, and depending on who you ask, Wembanyama might be the best prospect since Anthony Davis or even LeBron James.
Wembanyama is a 7-foot-4 shot-blocking machine whose highlights look like something out of a video game, and the franchise that is lucky enough to get him will be changed instantly in terms of expectations, exposure, merchandise sales and nationally televised games.
Wembanyama is going to affect an economy, let’s just hope it’s that of the city of Detroit and not somewhere in Texas.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Portland Trail Blazers jump up three spots in this Mock Draft, which would open up a ton of possibilities for trades.
Portland is at a crossroads and has to decide if they want to continue to try and be mediocre with Damian Lillard, or to finally trade him and start a rebuild. Lillard is under contract through 2025-26 with a player option for 2026-27 for a whopping $63 million when he’ll be 36-years-old.
Drafting Scoot Henderson here would allow the Trail Blazers to trade Lillard in the offseason and start their rebuild around the young backcourt of Henderson and Anfernee Simons.
This could affect the Detroit Pistons, as the Blazers rebuilding means it’s less likely they will re-sign Jerami Grant, which could lead to him returning to Detroit.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
There was some talk about Miller overtaking Henderson for the #2 pick and that could very well happen depending on who gets it.
Miller is the prototypical wing for the modern NBA, as he can shoot the 3-ball, create some of his own shots and has defensive upside with great size.
Will his historic flop in the NCAA Tournament or his disturbing off-the-court trouble cause him to fall any further in the 2023 NBA Draft? It’s a possibility.
But for now we’ll assume teams still see him as the third-best guy, and he is a great fit in Charlotte as they pivot away from Kelly Oubre.
Detroit Pistons: 2023 NBA Mock Draft
If the Detroit Pistons fall out of the top-3 of the 2023 NBA Draft they will have a number of options on the table, including potentially trading back for multiple picks or trying to package this pick in a trade for a wing.
There are also other forwards that some draft boards have ranked higher, like Jarace Walker and the Thompson twins. Walker might have the higher floor and the Thompson twins are extremely raw, and in the case of Amen, another lead ball handler the Detroit Pistons would have to try and work in.
Whitmore is a clearer fit, as he is a true wing with great size and athleticism, who is projected to have a very good 3-point shot in the NBA.
Whoever the Detroit Pistons take here is going to be a risk, and Whitmore could be a reach with the 4th pick, as he only averaged 12.5 points and 5.3 rebounds as a freshman for Villanova.
The Detroit Pistons just traded away their last draft project forward from Villanova in Saddiq Bey, but Whitmore is far more athletic and dynamic than Bey and could be the perfect 3-and-D wing to complement Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.
Fans of the Detroit Pistons would not be dancing in the streets with this pick, but if they do drop out of the top-3 of the 2023 NBA Draft, it’s likely that one of these project wings is headed to the Motor City.
Keep praying to the Lottery Gods that this doesn’t happen.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Spurs drop a spot in the draft in this one, which hasn’t happened often, as San Antonio is one of those teams that always seems to move up.
They have some nice young pieces to build around already and Amen Thompson could be the player that brings them all together.
He’s a raw prospect that will take some time, but if anyone can develop him into a point forward it is Gregg Popovich. Thompson is a selfless player who can jump out of the gym and would give the Spurs another long wing-type to go along with Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell and their young guards.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Orlando Magic stay in their draft spot and land the 6th pick. Orlando made some strides this year and has to feel like they are on the cusp of breaking through going into next season.
They will potentially have two picks in the lottery this season, so are definitely a team to monitor for trades, as they could package both of them to move up or potentially to find a veteran player that is ready to help them now.
But for now they add a dynamic, two-way player to replace Jonathan Isaac’s ghost. They already have plenty of scoring options, so Thompson’s shooting troubles won’t be a problem. He would slide in perfectly as a wing defender who doesn’t need the ball and can thrive in transition.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Pacers are another team on the cusp of being good. They already have a solid core they are now building around Tyrese Haliburton, and Walker makes a lot of sense for them even though they already have some players at his position.
Walker is a solid, strong defender who has flashed the ability to shoot the 3-ball, so he would fit with the Pacers and seems like their kind of guy, as he is not flashy but makes plays.
A lot of people think his rebounding and defense would make him a better choice for the Detroit Pistons if they were to fall in the draft, but Detroit needs more athleticism on the wing and Walker is more of a power forward who is basically a more athletic Isaiah Stewart.
He’d be a great fit in Indiana.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
This might be a bit of a reach for the Washington Wizards here, but if they stick with Bradley Beal and re-sign Kyle Kuzma, it makes a lot of sense.
Hendricks has as much defensive upside as nearly anyone in the 2023 NBA Draft and at 6-foot-9 210 lbs. would give them a lot of size and athleticism with Kuzma and Porzingis to go along with their two guards.
Hendricks is also a good 3-point shooter who knocked down nearly 40 percent for UCF this season, so if the Wizards hold onto Beal, he’d be a nice addition. Of course, if they finally trade Beal this summer, all bets are off here.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
Utah could use some more 3-point shooting on the wing and can’t pass up a chance to take the best white guy available (just kidding, Utah, stay classy).
Dick has sleeper potential in this draft, as he is already a very good 3-point shooter, but is sneaky good with the ball in his hands, plays with a bit of an edge and is a pretty good team defender who is adept at getting steals.
I would love Gradey Dick for the Detroit Pistons if they end up with a second pick in the lottery, as he’s going to get buckets in the NBA and will solidify someone’s shooting on the wing.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Dallas Mavericks are not a team that thought they would be choosing in the lottery (their pick is top-10 protected, so they keep it here) and are a bit of a mess right now.
They are a half game out of the final play-in spot, Luka Doncic is unhappy and their forecourt includes Reggie Bullock, Dwight Powell and Christian Wood. They have little to trade, a top-heavy payroll that could lose Kyrie Irving at the end of the season, and if they are not careful, they are going to fumble one of the best talents to come along in years. Well done, Mark Cuban!
If the Mavericks end up keeping their pick, they will almost certainly package it in a trade for a win-now player, but in this draft, the 10th pick isn’t going to carry a ton of weight. But in this mock, I’ll give them Nick Smith Jr., whose shooting potential would be great next to Luka and would give the Mavs a chance to try and move Tim Hardaway Jr.
If the Mavs go into next season with this same roster minus Kyrie (possible) and with Smith Jr., expect to start hearing Luka trade rumors.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Magic already have plenty of guards, which is why I expect them to trade this pick that they would get from the Chicago Bulls from the awful Vucevic trade. Seriously, the Chicago Bulls don’t get enough flak for being a genuinely horrible organization.
Even though they have guards, none of them have Wallace’s defensive upside, so he does make some sense and would potentially allow the Magic to package one of their other guys in a trade.
Wallace is a 3-and-D type and every team needs those, but expect the Magic to be busy on draft night if they end up with two middling picks like this.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The OKC Thunder are loaded with talent, sitting in the final play-in position, will have Chet Holmgren coming back from injury and still have a treasure chest of draft picks to make a move.
They are right where the Detroit Pistons wanted to be this season and have a chance to be a force if they can find a way to make all of this work.
All of their future draft assets make them a great contender to make a trade in this draft, as they could push some of them in to make a move for a star, or they could just take the best player available and keep running it back.
In this case, that player is Black, who would give them more depth at small forward behind Luguentz Dort and another guy who figures to be a plus defender in the NBA.
The Thunder are the team the Detroit Pistons want to mimic and hope to make a similar leap next season.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
Toronto may make some disruptive moves this offseason, as they underperformed, have two players looking for big raises, and their coach recently said he is burned out.
I could definitely see the Raptors trading a guy like OG Anuoby this summer in an attempt to reload (how about to the Detroit Pistons?) and to clear some cap space for the looming Pascal Siakam contract.
They could also deal Fred VanVleet and/or Gary Trent Jr. and if they do, George makes some sense here as a big, tough guard whose shooting is projected to improve as he ages.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
The Utah Jazz get another pick here, this one via Minnesota, which will be a common theme after the Timberwolves made one of the worst trades of the modern era when acquiring Rudy Gobert, who may already be worse than Walker Kessler.
The Timberwolves should be a lesson to the Detroit Pistons, as this is the exact type of trade Detroit must avoid during this rebuild.
The Jazz grab big shooting guard Jett Howard here, which would potentially allow them to move Jordan Clarkson and give them more size on the perimeter.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
- 15: Atlanta Hawks-Jalen Hood-Schifino
- 16: New Orleans Pelicans-Noah Clowney
- 17: LA Lakers-Brice Sensabaugh
- 18: Miami Heat-Kyle Filipowski
- 19: Houston Rockets-Dereck Lively II
- 20: Golden State Warriors-Rayan Rupert
- 21: Brooklyn Nets-Jordan Hawkins
- 22: Brooklyn Nets-G.G. Jackson
- 23: Portland Trail Blazers-Colby Jones
- 24: Sacramento Kings-Kris Murray
- 24: Indiana Pacers-Maxwell Lewis
- 26: Memphis Grizzlies-Leonard Miller
- 27: Charlotte Hornets-Dariq Whitehead
- 28: Utah Jazz-Jaime Jaquez Jr.
- 29: Indiana Pacers-Julian Phillips
- 30: LA Clippers-Sidy Cissoko