It is no secret that the Detroit Pistons need more talent on the wing and will look to the 2023 NBA Draft, free agency and trades to find it.
Detroit is hoping to land the #1 pick and select Victor Wembanyama, but barring that, it’s likely that they end up with a wing in the 1st round unless they land the 2nd pick and decide Scoot Henderson is too good to pass up.
Guys like Brandon Miller, the Thompson Twins, Jarace Walker and Cam Whitmore are getting most of the attention as possible top-5 picks that could interest the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit will be looking for two-way wings, as they not only need shooting but players who can defend, or at least have potential on that end.
Another wing just declared for the NBA Draft who might enter the discussion in the lottery or could possibly fall to the early second round, where the Detroit Pistons own the 31st pick.
Detroit Pistons draft: French wing prospect joins the 2023 NBA Draft
French wing prospect Rayan Rupert, who has been playing for the New Zealand Breakers has just declared that he will enter the 2023 NBA Draft:
NEWS: French wing Rayan Rupert, a potential lottery pick, has declared for the 2023 NBA draft, he told ESPN. Rupert has elite dimensions at 6'7 with a 7'3 wingspan, showing significant two-way potential with his strong feel for the game.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 19, 2023
STORY: https://t.co/yirn8gA5BK pic.twitter.com/eA7yIVj0Iv
He didn’t put up huge numbers for the Breakers, but as you can see from the description above and the video that follows, he fits the prototype of what the Pistons are looking for in a wing.
He has a massive 7-foot-3 wingspan that he uses deftly to get steals and disrupt passing lanes, which is something the Detroit Pistons desperately need after watching a season of Bojan Bogdanovic and Saddiq Bey try to patrol the perimeter.
Rupert’s shot needs work, but he is already very good in transition with or without the ball and when he gets near the rim, he knows how to finish.
Rupert is one of several elite prospects from France, which is having a bit of a golden age in basketball right now and is becoming a force on the international scene as a basketball hotbed.
He averaged just 6.8 points per game this season and was inefficient shooting the ball, but Rupert is just 18-years-old and has all of the physical tools to be a quality two-way wing.
It’s unlikely that he’ll climb high enough for consideration with the first-round pick, but if he were to fall to the early 2nd round, the Detroit Pistons might pounce.