Detroit Pistons: Draft trade with the Indiana Pacers could make sense

The Detroit Pistons are currently weighing their options when it comes to the 5th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

They could just take the wing player they like best from a talented group, or some reports have suggested that the Pistons are already “aggressively” shopping their pick in a trade.

We won’t have long to wait, as the 2023 NBA Draft is just around the corner and the Pistons could be one of the busiest teams in the league.

There are a number of teams that might want to move up, as well as teams like Dallas and Portland who may want to trade their picks for “win now” talent.

Depending on how the Detroit Pistons see their immediate future, a recent trade proposed by Pacers’ site 8 Points 9 Seconds could work out for both teams.

Detroit Pistons: Draft trade with the Indiana Pacers could make sense

Here is the trade:

On paper this looks like a fair trade for both teams.

Why Indiana says yes

The Pacers are probably a year ahead of the Detroit Pistons in terms of rebuilds, so this would allow them to potentially get a higher-caliber player to speed things up, as well as a veteran shooter for their bench. The Pistons, Magic and Pacers (picks 5, 6, and 7) are all looking for wing players and the Pacers could leapfrog both of them and get the player they want at five. Alec Burks is a solid veteran and one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA, so they get to add “win now” talent as well as a high draft prospect.

Why the Pistons say yes

Is there really that much difference between the 5th and 7th pick in this draft? Once the Detroit Pistons dropped out of the top-3, it didn’t really matter much, as scouts have guys like Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker, Ausar Thompson and Taylor Hendricks ranked similarly. One of them would still fall to Detroit. Oddsmakers have the Pistons taking Whitmore, but I could see Troy Weaver and coach Monty Williams being more enamored with a defender like Walker or Hendricks, one of which should be there at seven.

Detroit would get a younger version of Alec Burks in Chris Duarte, a cheap 3-and-D role player in Nwora, plus another late-first round pick that they could use in a trade or to try and package with 31 to move into the late lottery.

The Detroit Pistons would probably prefer a future pick since they already have two picks in this draft and need to replace the one that they will eventually have to give the Knicks. If the Pistons could get Indiana to turn that 29th pick into a future lottery-protected pick, they would have more ammunition for trades.

The Pistons may be able to get the guy they want anyway and pick up some assets that would help them make additional moves. The Pacers get a slight draft upgrade and more win now talent to put around their young core.

It makes some sense for both teams and is one to monitor on Draft day.