Offseason Report Card: Pistons get two As, four Bs for summer moves
6. Drafted Marcus Sasser
Drafted Houston guard Marcus Sasser with the 25th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Detroit Pistons clearly wanted to invest in their backcourt this offseason. Prior to trading for Monte Morris, they went after former Houston Cougars guard Marcus Sasser, trading up from the 31st pick to land Sasser at 25.
The player himself seems like a reasonable pick, even if there were other players available higher on many draft boards. Sasser is an excellent defender against opposing point guards, although his 6-foot-1 size will make it hard for him to defend further up the lineup.
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He is a solid shooter, but his limited playmaking makes it hard to play at point guard on offense; he’ll need to hone his off-ball cutting and shooting to find a role. Playing with a larger playmaking wing like Cade Cunningham could be the best fit for him.
The larger issue here is that the Pistons gave up two future second-round picks to move up from 31 to 25. Perhaps Sasser will turn out to be a significantly better player than someone available at 31, but that’s a costly transaction for Detroit. Could they have waited and taken Colby Jones or Andre Jackson Jr.? Or even seen if Sasser would fall a few more spots? It’s a big investment in a player who has some real fit concerns.
Grade: B-