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.
Detroit Pistons draft: Trading the 5th pick for a role player and a later pick
Lu Dort
De’Andre Hunter
Neither of these players would be worth trading the 5th pick straight up to get, as they are both quality role players but not stars.
The Thunder or Hawks would have to swap their pick as well, which would still give Detroit a first rounder while also giving them a quality role player.
Either of these guys would immediately help Detroit’s atrocious wing defense, as both are plus defenders who can guard a couple of spots.
The problem is that neither of them are very good shooters and both are locked into contracts that Detroit may not want to take on, particularly Hunter, who is making big money for a guy who only scores 15 points per game on mediocre shooting splits.
Dort would probably be the more attractive option here, as he is a better defender and comes a bit cheaper, but would OKC really be interested in more draft picks? They already own about half the league’s picks, though they would have to give up at least one to make this deal work.
In the end, players in this tier might be worth it depending on the draft pick that was coming back, which in these cases would likely be in the 12-15 range. Would one of these players and a borderline lottery pick be enough for the 5th pick?
I don’t think so, as a guy like Jarace Walker could turn into one of these guys in two years and you’d have him locked into a cheap deal. Unless there were multiple draft picks involved, this is the type of deal the Pistons should avoid.
Detroit Pistons draft: Trading the 5th pick for a star
OG Anunoby
Zion Williamson
Mikal Bridges
Of these three, Anuoby is the most likely to hit the trade market, as the Raptors are looking for a new coach and may want to retool. They’ve said publicly that pretty much everyone is on the table except Scottie Barnes, so Anunoby may be gettable.
I highly doubt the Pelicans would trade Zion Williamson at this point, as it would be selling low, but he is an absolute game changer when healthy. Those last two words are the big caveat and trading for him would be a huge risk for the Pistons. Detroit would probably have to add other assets on top of it, which would likely frighten them off, especially considering Zion is locked into a max extension.
Bridges is another guy who gets mentioned a lot but is probably not going to be on the market, as he proved himself to be one of the best two-way players in the league. The Nets already reportedly turned down four first-round picks for him, so it’s unlikely the Pistons even have what it takes to get him, even with the 5th pick. It would likely have to be the 2nd pick to pry Brooklyn off Bridges or Zion away from New Orleans.
I wouldn’t rule out Anunoby in the right deal, and he would certainly be a fit as a 3-and-D wing, but there are also wing players in the draft who might reach the same level and would be under a rookie deal. Anunoby is more of a sure thing, but he’s not the type of player that would immediately make Detroit a contender.
In other words, the 5th pick is not likely to land the Detroit Pistons a star-level player unless there are some major red flags or they add considerably to the deal to make it happen. I could still see them trading the pick, but it’s more likely they just take the best player available if the worst were to happen.