The NBA Draft is finally here, and with it, an end to all the crazy, possible draft day scenarios for the Detroit Pistons.
Troy Weaver is known for holding his cards close to the chest when it comes to draft day. Will Weaver and company go the chalk route and simply take the best player available? Will there be a seismic trade for additional picks or established players? Only Troy knows the answers to that.
With that being said, everyone has their own opinions on what they believe the organization should do. We’ve decided to add our two cents, and have collected some final, dream draft scenarios from the PistonPowered staff members for Detroit.
PistonPowered staff’s dream NBA Draft scenarios for the Pistons
Timothy Galbraith (@TDGalbraith)
“Detroit selects Cam Whitmore at 5th overall. Whitmore can fill a lot of needs for the Pistons and would be a very nice complement to Cunningham and Ivey. He has a very high ceiling. Besides being a good rebounder, shot creator, and defensive stopper, he could become a reliable threat from deep. From a purely athletic standpoint, Ivey, Duren and Whitmore would be something else.
It’s not “trade-for-Zion” level exciting, but it’s a fantastic fit that makes our fall in draft position much easier to swallow.”
Jacob Warfle (@JWarfle23)
“Detroit trades 5 and some other assets, specifically anyone other than Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, or Jalen Duren, to Toronto for Pascal Siakam. Trading for Siakam is mostly about speeding up the timeline and being ready to compete as soon as Cade, Ivey, and Duren make their leap. Siakam is a little older than one might think, 29, but if you can get four more prime years out of him, he still fits in perfect with our core. He’s flirted with All-NBA the last 2-3 years, so if he’s getable at a decent price, it seems like a no brainer.”
Aaron Kellerstrass (@TheBukShow)
“Pistons trade the fifth overall pick, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Isaiah Stewart in a deal for Zion Williamson. If a trade is not possible and they decide to stick with draft selections, Ausar Thompson at five and then Brandin Podziemski at 31 would be nice.”
Tyler Dutton (@Dutton_Tyler)
“The rumor around the league is that there are plenty of opportunities to trade down. Both Orlando and Utah are reportedly interested in moving up to five, something Detroit should jump at. Detroit should trade five to the Utah Jazz for ninth overall and 16, grabbing Taylor Hendricks and Jordan Hawkins respectively. Hendricks is a perfect position-less mold, a 6-foot-9 guard/forward with the ability to disrupt shots down low, or step out and shoot the three. In addition to Hendricks, Hawkins then fills the open 3-guard position with one of the best pure shooters in the draft, making Bogdanovic expendable.
At 31, Detroit would be wise to look at a player such as Marcus Sasser for his leadership and scoring ability. This would also give them the opportunity to move on from Killian Hayes if they wish.”
No one knows what the final roster will look like post-draft. That’s part of the beauty of draft season. But if one of the following dream scenarios plays out, safe to say our staff will be pleased.