It’s anyone’s guess how Trajan Langdon will handle his first draft as president of the Detroit Pistons.
Having rarely chosen this high in the past, Langdon might be more inclined to just take the best player available and not worry about fit.
He could look for a “Langdon type” which in the past has been players who can defend at a high level.
Langdon could also trade the pick, a popular option among fans who want to see the Pistons get better quickly and don’t think they need any more young players in their crowded pipeline.
We’ll take a look at one possible trade with every team in the lottery. Some of these are on the unlikely side but will give an idea of what Langdon is up against as he tries to weigh his options for the Pistons in the 2024 NBA Draft.
#14: Detroit Pistons trade the #5 and #53 picks for Jerami Grant and #14
If the Trail Blazers are interested in leaning into their youth movement and clearing some cap space, this is one way they could do it.
In this trade, Portland gets off Grant’s long-term contract and moves up to the 5th pick in the draft in exchange for pick #14.
The Pistons get a quality player at a position of need (probably should have just kept him in the first place) and still have a lottery pick in a draft where there might not be much difference between the 5th and 14th picks.
The Pistons would get a young player, bolster their roster for next season and would still have plenty of cap space leftover to make additional moves.
#13: Detroit Pistons trade pick #5 to the Sacramento Kings for Kevin Huerter and pick #13
In a normal draft, this might be a more reasonable trade, as the Kings are giving up a role player to move up from the 13th to the 5th pick.
In this draft, I am not so sure, as teams might not value a top-5 pick as much and it’s arguable that the Kings would be lunatics to give up an asset just to move up in a weak draft.
But Huerter did have a down year shooting the 3-ball (just 36 percent) and the Kings could clear some much-needed cap space while moving up to a more desirable spot in the draft.
The Pistons get some shooting, a guy on a reasonable deal that extends two more seasons and still have a lottery pick. Would Detroit have to kick in something else? If so, a 2nd-rounc pick or two could be included.
#12: Detroit Pistons trade Jaden Ivey to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Isaiah Joe and the 12th pick
I doubt OKC would want any part of Ivey, as he’s not a great fit with SGA, but I am not worried about them.
The question is whether the Pistons would give up on Ivey for a lesser prospect (Joe) and a later lottery pick in a weak draft.
Joe has shot over 40 percent from long range in the last two seasons, so he is a fit with Cade Cunningham.
The Thunder get the higher-end prospect in Ivey, pooling some of their assets for the upgrade. They don’t need more young talent, so giving up the 12th pick doesn’t hurt them, and the Pistons can use it to upgrade their wing position.
The Thunder might see this as too much to give up for Ivey, and the Pistons would have to weigh his upside vs the chance they find a better-fitting player with the 12th pick.
#11: The Detroit Pistons trade Marcus Sasser to the Chicago Bulls for Zach LaVine and the 11th pick
The Pistons have been attached to LaVine in the past and there was a time when some people were suggesting they should trade Jaden Ivey to get him, which seems like an overpay considering LaVine’s injury history and contract.
Recent rumors had the Bulls giving up draft assets just to get rid of LaVine, so if they want the Pistons to clear their cap sheet of his albatross contract, they are going to have to pay.
It costs them the 11th pick, but the Bulls pick up over $40 million in cap space to help rebuild their team around Coby White. Would the Bulls trade this much just to get off LaVine?
Given their stubborn refusal to rebuild, the answer is probably no, but Sasser would at least give them another young player and all of that cap space would be enticing.
To me, if the Pistons are going to take on LaVine, they can’t also pay to do it, as he is too big a risk, just off surgery and still owed over $136 million over three years. If Detroit is not getting an asset to take on LaVine, they should run away.
#10: Detroit Pistons trade 5th pick to the Utah Jazz for Taylor Hendricks and the 10th pick
It’s hard to see the Jazz giving up on a high-upside player like Hendricks just to move up five spots in a weak draft unless they really love someone in the top five who is not going to be there when they pick.
They are loaded at power forward, so moving one of them might make sense, though that player may more likely be John Collins, another guy who the Pistons might have some interest in.
Detroit would get a young player at a position of need and still pick in the top-10 while the Jazz would get a chance to add a higher-end player who better fits their needs.
#9: Detroit Pistons trade Jalen Duren and Marcus Sasser to the Grizzlies for GG Jackson and the 9th pick
I’m not sure the Grizzlies would trade Jackson straight up for Duren at this point after the way Jackson exploded onto the scene last season.
But this trade gives them more depth and a high-end center prospect in Duren who is a nice fit with Jaren Jackson Jr., who reportedly wants to move back to power forward.
JJJ is the type of rim protector and floor spreader who would allow the Grizzlies to run two bigs and Duren would be a weapon in the pick-and-roll with Morant with another big man spacing the floor.
The Grizzlies are ready to compete now and don’t need their draft pick, so they toss it in to get a cheaper shooter in Sasser who can replace Kennard and open up some cap space for Memphis to make further improvements.
It would be hard for them to give up on two prospects (Jackson and the pick), but they are getting more of a sure thing with Duren, who played his college ball in Memphis.
If Jackson was too much, would the Grizzlies trade the 9th pick straight up for Duren? That would be a tough call for Detroit, as Duren is only 20 and already a double-double machine.
#8: Detroit Pistons trade the 5th pick to the San Antonio Spurs for Keldon Johnson and the 8th pick
The Spurs would like to get off Keldon Johnson’s deal and this would be one way to do it while picking up an asset.
They get the 5th pick in exchange for the 8th pick and Johnson, which would allow the Spurs to clear some cap space and move up in the draft at the same time.
The Pistons get a serviceable wing in Johnson, who is on a reasonable deal that extends two more seasons and still stay in the top-10 of the draft.
Is this too much for the Spurs to give up just to move up a few spots? That depends. If there are two players they have identified as perfect fits for Victor Wembanyama but don’t think the second guy will be there at eight, then it makes sense for them, especially when they open up around $19 million more in cap space to add free agents.
#7: Detroit Pistons trade Isaiah Stewart and the 5th pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and the 7th pick
How desperate are the Trail Blazers to get off Jerami Grant’s contract this summer? His deal isn’t the worst by any means, but it is borderline bad given that it extends four more seasons.
In this trade, Portland clears Grant’s deal from their books while moving up in the draft, allowing them to get a top-5 pick to go along with pick #14.
This would all be about getting younger and clearing cap space for Portland.
The Pistons get a player in Grant who can help them now, swapping out Beef Stew and the 5th pick to get him. Would you rather have Grant and the 7th pick or Stewart and the 5th? Given the money involved, it’s not an easy question to answer.
#6: Detroit Pistons trade three 2nd-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets for Nick Richards
The Pistons could use some rim protection and are going to need a backup center regardless of what they do with Duren and Stewart.
Given that the Hornets may take Donovan Clingan with the 6th pick and already have Mark Williams, Richards could be the odd man out.
Richards gets paid $5 million a year and nearly averaged a double-double this season in just 26 minutes per game while adding over a block per contest.
The Pistons have plenty of extra second-round picks to throw around and Richards would fill a need without breaking the bank or costing any other assets.
#4: Skip. I can’t come up with anything for the Spurs here. If you can, let me know.
#3: Detroit Pistons trade Jaden Ivey and a 2029 1st-round pick to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green
Woah. This would certainly get these two fanbases buzzing.
Houston would likely only be interested in this if they had no intention of offering Green an extension this offseason.
It would be a massive risk for Detroit, as Green has been just as inconsistent as Ivey and is also a poor defender, but his highs have been higher than Ivey’s and he had a nice stretch during Houston’s winning streak in which he looked like an elite scorer.
Is that upgrade worth a 1st-round pick? Would the Pistons want to extend Green and put him next to Cade Cunningham long term?
There’s a lot to digest here for both teams, but if Houston doesn’t want Green long term, it would give the Pistons a chance to take a flyer on a guy who has very much looked like a star at times.
#2: Detroit Pistons trade Marcus Sasser and the 5th pick to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma
The Wizards are reportedly trying to add another first-round pick, and this would be one way to do it.
I have had Pistons fans tell me they wouldn’t give up the 5th pick for Kuzma and I can see the argument, as in most drafts, there would be a good chance you could find a player who ends up being better.
But in this one? I am not so sure.
Kuzma would give the Pistons a legit second option, a big wing who can spread the floor and they wouldn’t have to give up any of their young players to get him. He’d push Stewart to the bench as an all-purpose big, which should be his role and give the Pistons another 20+ppg scorer in the starting five. Kuzma is also on a value contract that gets cheaper as it goes.
This is a tough call, as Kuzma is a good-not-great player and who knows, someone like Matas Buzelis may be better in 3-4 years, but do the Pistons want to wait that long?
#1: Detroit Pistons trade Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and the 5th pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela and the 1st pick
At first glance you might say this is way too much for the Hawks to give up, as they are not only giving up the superior pick but also the two best players in the deal.
This would be all about the money, as it would allow the Hawks to add some younger depth while clearing over $35 million in cap space from their books to make other additions.
They get a soft rebuild with younger, cheaper players, still have a pick in the top-5 and can fill out their roster with players who better complement Trae Young.
The Pistons get Cade Cunningham a running mate in Murray, whose reasonable extension kicks in next season. He’s a better shooter and defender than Ivey and a better overall fit with Cade.
Capela is the tax they pay for getting Murray, but he’s only on a one-year deal. Detroit can then take their big man of the future in Alex Sarr without immediately throwing him into a huge role (novel idea), so Detroit gets better now and in the future.