Unless the Detroit Pistons land the number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft then it’s difficult to predict what they will do.
Victor Wembanyama is the consensus #1, but beyond that you’ll find a lot of debate, even though most scouts think Scoot Henderson is a notch above the rest of the field.
If the Detroit Pistons were to land the 2nd pick or lower, trading back does make some sense, as does trying to package the pick in a trade for a star.
It’s still too early to know which stars might be available and if a top-5 pick in this draft is enough to tempt a team to trade an established player.
Detroit Pistons draft: Making a trade around the 2023 NBA Draft
Troy Weaver has shown that he is not afraid to wheel and deal, so if there is a player out there he thinks he can get, we could see him flip the Pistons’ pick, especially if it falls out of the top three.
The Detroit Pistons have plenty of young guys already, and Detroit has difficulty attracting top free agents, so trying to land an impact player via a trade is another route.
The question is who the Pistons might be able to get if they had the 4th or 5th pick on the trade block? This draft isn’t deep enough for that pick to land a star by itself, unless that star had huge flaws and red flags.
There is one star player who fits that bill, but would be a huge risk for the Detroit Pistons and his current team may not have any interest anyway. But it might be worth a call, as there are few players with higher upside in the entire NBA.
Detroit Pistons draft: Making a trade around the 2023 NBA Draft
The player I am talking about is Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans. I should first say that there is ZERO indication that the Pelicans are interested in moving Zion, who they signed to a max extension just last summer.
But he only played in 29 games this season after missing the entire 2021-22 season, which certainly submarined any chance the Pelicans had to compete in the Western Conference. The Pels were one of the top teams in the league early in the season, but watched their playoff chances evaporate when Zion and Brandon Ingram couldn’t stay on the floor.
New Orleans is a team built around two fragile stars, and may eventually decide that situation is untenable for a team that wants to compete for titles. Would they consider moving Zion for an established scorer and a top-5 pick? Probably not, but here is one that would work:
I don’t think the Pelicans would do this, as Zion has MVP potential, but he has barely played in his four seasons and adding a top-5 pick would give them plenty of ammo to go out and get another star to replace him. There’s also the fact that the Zion drama has sucked the life out of their organization since he was first drafted and played just 24 games in his rookie season. Ask a Pelicans’ fan, they are exhausted.
The Pels could use shooting and Isaiah Stewart is already a better defender than Zion. Let’s also keep in mind that Williamson’s value is at an all time low considering he is coming off another disappointing season and is signed to a massive contract through the 2027-28 season.
So the Pelicans could have some interest if the deal was right, but what about the Detroit Pistons, would he be worth the risk?
Detroit Pistons draft: Trading for Zion Williamson
I used to cover the Pelicans and have watched just about all of the 114 games Zion has played in his four seasons in the league.
When healthy, there is no one else like him, as he is unstoppable in the paint, was developing a jump shot, has shown he can hit 3-pointers and was improving on defense. He’s pretty much a guaranteed 26 points and seven rebounds every time he steps on the floor.
Outside of Wembanyama and maybe Scoot, there is not another player in this draft with Zion’s potential and it would be a chance for the Detroit Pistons to land a star without mortgaging their future or giving up one of their top young players.
Just imagine Zion at the forward with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. They would instantly be one of the most exciting teams in the league and a healthy Zion almost guarantees the playoffs.
HOWEVER. And this is the biggest HOWEVER in the history of hypotheticals: Will Zion Williamson ever be healthy?
The Pelicans have done everything in their power to cater to Zion, have treated him with kid’s gloves, let him sit when he could have played (sorry, but if you can do windmills in warm ups, you can play in an elimination game), given him private chefs, trainers and literally everything else a high-end athlete needs to stay in shape and succeed.
And he’s played 114 games in four seasons.
Of course, you could point to a guy like Joel Embiid, who also missed most of his first three seasons in the league and is now a perennial MVP candidate. The same could happen for Zion, but he could also end up being the next Greg Oden and the Pistons would be stuck paying him $44 million in 2027-28 and by then, who knows where he’ll be.
But he’s still only 22-years-old and if a team could just pry him away from some of the people in his life who are giving him bad advice (there are plenty) Zion still has time to be the MVP candidate everyone thinks he can be.
It would be a massive risk for both teams, as the New Orleans Pelicans would be selling low on a guy they’ve invested a lot in, and the Detroit Pistons would be putting their future on the line for a guy who has not been able to stay on the court.
It’s extremely unlikely to happen, but if the Detroit Pistons want to use a pick in a weak draft to land a star, it’s going to be one with some warts.