The Detroit Pistons will explore every option when it comes to the 5th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
There have already been reports that Detroit is “aggressively” seeking a trade that would land them a proven player or another pick in the 1st round.
Detroit is at the turning point where they want to pivot towards being competitive, so trading for a proven player instead of adding another teenager does make some sense.
But so does adding more young talent, especially if Detroit gets the chance to add two lottery picks instead of one.
Enter the Orlando Magic.
This Draft trade between Pistons and Magic could happen
The Orlando Magic have two picks in the lottery, their own, and the one owed to them by the Chicago Bulls, who low-key made one of the worst trades in recent memory to acquire Nikola Vucevic, sending the Magic Wendall Carter, Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round picks. Oops.
But the Magic already have a strong young core, and like the Pistons, will look to at least make the play-in next season. They too may be looking to add more veteran talent and according to recent reports, are not necessary interested in two more rookies.
According to HoopsHype the Magic are a team that could look to use those picks to jump into the top-5 of the 2023 NBA Draft:
"“There’s a belief around the league that Orlando is open to moving the No. 6 and No. 11 picks if the Magic can move into the 3-5 range.”"
The Magic either have a particular player in mind that they don’t think is going to drop to six, or just don’t want to add two more rookies to a roster that is already loaded with young talent.
The Detroit Pistons also have two picks (5 and 31) and could be the perfect candidate to help the Magic move up.
This Draft trade between Pistons and Magic could happen
The Detroit Pitons and Orlando Magic have a budding rivalry after an on-the-court altercation last season that led to Killian Hayes delivering a knockout punch to the back of Moe Wagner’s dome.
The two are also at pretty much the same stage of their rebuilds and will likely be competing for position in the Eastern Conference next season, so they aren’t the perfect trade partners just in terms of competition.
But if the Magic are really desperate to get into the top-5, this is a trade that could work:
In this trade, the Magic ensure that they get the player they most covet with the 5th pick, and also get the 31st pick from the Pistons.
Detroit takes the 6th and 11th off Orlando’s hands, which would help the Magic find roster balance and save them the money of paying a second lottery pick.
But Orlando would really have to love a particular prospect and think the Pistons were going to take that guy for them to give up another lottery pick to jump into the top-5.
It seems like the Magic might be able to do better than this (jump the Pistons and trade with the Rockets for the 4th pick), so the Pistons may not have the best offer on the table.
So assuming the Magic would even be interested in this, would the Pistons?
This Draft trade between Pistons and Magic could happen
I have my doubts that this would be enough to get the Magic to move off both of their picks, but I’ll play along.
If the Pistons were presented a deal like this they might pounce on it, as there is a steep drop-off from the number one pick, and after that it’s anyone’s guess. There are a number of wing prospects that would fit Detroit, including the Thompson Twins, Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker and Taylor Hendricks, one of whom would definitely still be there at 6.
If the Pistons got wind that the Magic were high on Whitmore, they could use that leverage to get multiple picks and still get a player that they like anyway. Who knows, Detroit may have guys like Walker and Hendricks ranked higher and could grab assets while still getting their primary target.
If Detroit had the 6th and 11th they might be able to get both, which would go a long way towards solidifying their defense for the future. It would also give them the opportunity to trade Bojan Bogdanovic, who would no longer be necessary.
They could also use the 11th pick to grab a shooter like Gradey Dick or Jordan Hawkins to complement their offense off the bench.
Detroit needs to find at least one more high-end young player to add to Cunningham, Ivey and Duren, and getting two chances in the lottery to do it would make it easier.