One NBA Draft prospect hopes to land on the Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons are hoping the ping pong balls bounce in their favor in tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery, which would mean the chance to draft Victor Wembanyama.

Any dream offseason scenario involves those 14 percent odds being realized, but the Pistons’ offseason won’t be completely defined by what pick they get in the draft.

There is still free agency and trades, so the roster could see a major overhaul before this offseason is complete.

The Pistons also have the 31st pick in the draft, the first of the second round, and one prospect projected in that range is hoping to come back to his home state.

Emoni Bates is one of the biggest boom or bust prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft, but his potential would make him a worthwhile prospect for the Detroit Pistons.

Detroit Pistons Draft: Emoni Bates wants a homecoming

At one point Emoni Bates was ranked as a top-3 player in this draft class, but an underwhelming showing at Memphis and a transfer to Eastern Michigan have lowered that projection considerably.

We know Bates can score, at 6-foot-9 he can get hot from 3-point range and light up the scoreboard as he did several times this season on his way to averaging 19 points per game.

There are question marks about his length and his defense, but the kid can score the basketball and has as much potential on that end as any player projected to go in the second round.

He’s from Michigan, so staying in his home state may be his preference if he were to drop to the Pistons with the 31st pick:

Bates named Detroit as a team he likes, so there may be some mutual interest there depending on where the Detroit Pistons have him on their big board.

A big showing in the NBA Combine would help his case, and so far he has shot the ball well:

Emoni Bates may not fall out of the 1st round, but if he does, he’ll be one of several players the Detroit Pistons should take a hard look at with the 31st pick.