Whether the Detroit Pistons retain their free agents or not, they still need to add shooting and may look to do it with the 37th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Trajan Langdon said that the Pistons won’t target a specific skill with their pick but will instead take the best player available, but with fewer second-round prospects entering the draft from college, an older player with one NBA-ready skill is more likely than a raw gem with untapped potential.
The Pistons were in the lower half of the league in 3-point shooting this season even with the additions of Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and eventually Dennis Schroder.
They may not be able to keep all of those guys, so they not only need to replace their production, but add to it, as Detroit was just 21st in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game, a weakness that became glaring in the playoffs.
Even though Langdon says the team won’t target a specific skill, if there is an elite shooter there, you might see the Pistons jump at the chance.
Detroit Pistons draft: Chaz Lanier
That’s what happens in the latest and final ESPN Mock Draft, which has the Pistons selecting Chaz Lanier from Tennessee with the 37th pick.
Lanier checks a lot of boxes for what the Pistons might be looking for, as he is an elite high-volume 3-point shooter who hit 40 percent this season on over eight attempts per game.
He’s also an older prospect as a “super” senior who played five years in college and is already 23 years old, which limits his ceiling obviously, but may lend him enough experience to play right away off someone’s bench.
Lanier has good size for a two-guard at 6-foot-4 but there are concerns about his athleticism translating to the next level, especially when it comes to beating defenders off the dribble and being able to find space to get his 3-point shot off.
But we know Lanier can shoot it, as he hit an incredible 44 percent on nearly eight attempts per game in his final season for North Florida before he transferred to Tennessee for his monster senior season.
We could see the Pistons go in a lot of directions, but if there isn’t a player they believe has first round talent to develop, we could see them just take the best shooter available, which would put Lanier on the board, especially after he reportedly impressed in his team workout.