Cade Cunningham does a lot by himself on the Detroit Pistons. He averages the fourth-most touches per game in the NBA, fifth-most drives, the seventh-most field goal attempts, and has a usage rate over 30. The Pistons are 28-10, so obviously they have something figured out, but some extra help in the backcourt would still be welcomed.
Enter Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson? Perhaps! In the latest NBA Mock Draft from Christopher Kline of FanSided.com, the Pistons snag Anderson with the No. 28 pick in this summer's draft.
A complementary guard next to Cunningham is likely the most pressing need this team must address in the offseason. That's no slight on Duncan Robinson, who has been splendid for the team this year. But Robinson is more of a pure shooter than a rounded No. 2 option alongside Cade, and finding that secondary creator would elevate the Pistons to yet new heights.
This would, however, likely mean that Jaden Ivey's time in Detroit comes to an end this offseason. Ivey is a restricted free agent in the summer and he's putting up career low numbers across the board in 2025-26 — he's also coming off a serious injury, so he deserves some patience from fans.
Still, it's getting harder to imagine the Pistons committing multiple years to Ivey (who will undoubtedly receive attention on the open market)
Jaden Ivey's time in Detroit is likely coming to an end
This is sad! It wasn't supposed to go like this! Ivey's development was never linear, but it appeared to be development nonetheless. But in year four, a contract year, Ivey has almost become an afterthought in this rotation.
And with the Pistons playing so well, almost fully without Ivey, it becomes tougher to argue in favor of paying him a lot of money this offseason. I think Pistons fans will always have a soft spot for Ivey and hope he succeeds elsewhere. But it likely will be elsewhere.
Christian Anderson has been a monster in his sophomore season
Anderson, on the other hand, could have the makings of a perfect fit next to Cunningham. He is an incredibly high-level shooter (42% on 7.4 attempts per game) and he's comfortable creating those shots for himself, perhaps most evident in Texas Tech's comeback win against Duke last month, in which Anderson saw red and started launching (and making) shots from anywhere.
He doesn't just create for himself, though, as Anderson leads the Big 12 in assists per game at 7.2. If he was three inches taller and 20 pounds heavier, the Pistons wouldn't have a chance of snagging him in the late first round. He's a dang good basketball player.
It wasn't Marcus Sasser, it wasn't Jaden Ivey... Could Christian Anderson be the home run guard pick the Pistons have searched for? Worth a shot!