Detroit Pistons draft: 2nd-round prospects who could play right away

The Detroit Pistons are hoping to get a franchise-altering talent with their first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

They also own the 31st pick, which could be a valuable asset in a trade or used to try and find a gem that falls into the Pistons’ lap.

This draft is short on high-end prospects, and has a lot of players bunched into the same tiers, which means it’s more likely that the Detroit Pistons can land a quality player with the 31st pick.

There is a group of older players that might be ready to contribute right away, and one of them could fall to the second round and give the Pistons a chance to add a player with a ready-made NBA skill.

Detroit Pistons draft: 2nd-round prospects who could play right away

Generally the second round is for taking a chance on a high-end prospect that may need time to develop, or to grab an older player with a lower ceiling, but who might have an NBA skill that is ready for the league.

Here are four players who fall into the latter category. They are all ranked around the end of the first round or the beginning of the second, so may fall to the Detroit Pistons.

Marcus Sasser

Marcus Sasser is a combo guard out of Houston who just finished a strong senior season and is already 22-years-old. He can do two things the Pistons need which is defend and shoot the three-point shot.

Sasser is a quality on-the-ball defender and shot 38 percent from 3-point range on just under seven attempts per game. With Cory Joseph possibly leaving in free agency, the Pistons may be looking for a third point guard.

Trayce Jackson-Davis

The 6-foot-9 power forward from Indiana was a double-double machine in his senior year for the Hoosiers, averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds and just under three blocks per game. He’s limited offensively, which is why he could drop into the second round, as well as the fact that he is already 23-years-old.

But he can rebound and block shots, so he could end up on someone’s bench this season.

Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Jaquez Jr. is one of the players whose stock went up after a strong run in the NCAA Tournament for UCLA. The 22-year-old isn’t going to blow anyone away with athleticism, but he does pretty much everything well.

He’s a good team defender who competes on that end, he rebounds and can get buckets from all over, though his 3-point shooting needs to improve in both volume and accuracy. If he starts shooting and making more 3-point shots he could definitely end up on an NBA bench as a scoring threat next season.

It’s possible that all of these players will end up being taken in the first round, but if one of them does fall, the Detroit Pistons may pounce.