Pistons draft: Detroit shows interest in 2nd-round prospect

The Detroit Pistons will have both the 5th and 31st picks in the 2023 NBA Draft and there is uncertainty around both of them.

After a devastating fall to five, the Pistons will entertain trading the pick or using it on one of talented wing players that will still be available in that range.

The 31st pick could also prove to be trade bait, especially if the Pistons need a sweetener, as it does have value being the first pick in the second round.

There are always quality players that end up falling into the second round, so Detroit just has to find the gem, which might be easier this year in a draft that has a lot of talent in the same mid-first round to second round tier.

There are also players every year who have standout performances in the NBA Draft Combine to raise their status, and this year one of them could be Princeton star Tosan Evbuomwan.

Detroit Pistons draft: Tosan Evbuomwan

According to NJ.com, the Pistons were one of the teams that had interest in Tosan Evbuomwan and that was before the NBA Draft Combine.

Evbuomwan was one of the players chosen to participate from the G-League camp, and has so far been impressive in scrimmages in the Combine.

Evbuomwan is a 6-foot-7 forward who doesn’t have one elite skill, but is a very good passer, screen setter and guy who does all of the little things to help win games, which is why some have compared him to Draymond Green.

Here’s what his former coach had to say about him:

"“People love him,” Henderson said in a phone interview. “He thrives in the 5-on-5s. His feel, his passing, his versatility, that’s his superpower and what the people are realizing is how much he’s a winner, that’s what he’s great at. But what he’s really great at is making others around him so much better. The people that love him are absolutely in love with him and they can’t get enough.”"

Evbuomwan didn’t even touch a basketball until he was 15, so he could be one of those late bloomers who ends up being very good as he continues to get better feel for the game.

He averaged 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists in his junior year at Princeton, leading them to the Sweet 16, beating heavily favored #2 seed Arizona in the process.

He’s not a good 3-point shooter but can make plays and defend from the forward position, something that stood out to scouts even though he was the least heralded prospect on the floor in his Combine scrimmage.

Ultimately, he may not be quite there yet when it comes to being selected in the second round, but look for the Pistons to also be active on the undrafted free agent market this season as they try to do more with their two-way contracts.