The Detroit Pistons will be breaking out the good luck charms for the NBA Draft Lottery, hoping to land the #1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, there is only a 14 percent chance of that happening, while there is a 47.9 percent chance that the Pistons walk away with the 5th pick, which would be the worst-case scenario as the team with the worst record in the league.
Let’s face it, that would be a disaster after winning just 17 games this season, as Detroit still needs more impact talent, and it is going to be harder to find outside of the top two.
There are still some very good players outside of the top two, but each one represents more of a risk, so Detroit may decide that trading their pick is the best way to get the player they need.
Some of the Pistons’ beat writers, like James Edwards III, have predicted that if the Pistons do fall to 5th, they will look to trade, but what exactly could they get?
Detroit Pistons draft: What is the value of the 5th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft?
In most drafts, a top-5 pick is fairly valuable, as it gives teams a chance to get a young player with high upside who will be under team control for several seasons.
But this is a draft with a big perceived cliff after the third pick, so the 5th pick may not yield as much in a trade. There are a whole lot of guys bunched into the same tier and teams may feel like there isn’t a big difference between the 5th pick and the 15th.
This could be one of those drafts where some of the best players are taken at the end or even out of the lottery, so there may not be teams lined up to trade up.
At the high end, the Pistons may be able to get a star player by sweetening the deal with additional draft picks or young players.
On the low end, Detroit could trade for more of a role player type and possible a later pick in the draft. Here are some players in each category.