For the last four seasons, fans of the Detroit Pistons haven’t had much to look forward to except the NBA Draft and the hope that they might land a superstar who can change the destiny of the franchise.
The Pistons will once again be treated to a top-5 pick after finishing the season with the worst record in the NBA, but there is no Victor Wembanyama in this draft, so there is less excitement than years past and hope has just about run dry.
This could be the year in which the Pistons use their top-5 pick to trade for a more proven player, as there isn’t a consensus star and even getting the #1 pick would guarantee nothing in a draft where no one can agree who the top guys are.
The Pistons will find out their fate during the NBA Draft Lottery. You can find all of the information about dates and odds here.
So, fans are once again playing the donkey chasing the carrot, but when your team wins 31 games in two seasons combined, hope for the draft is pretty much all there is left.
When is the 2024 NBA Draft?
The 2024 NBA Draft will be held on June 26th and 27th in New York. For the first time, the draft has expanded to a two-day format, which I actually like, as it gives time for teams (and those who cover them) to digest what happened in the first round before moving on to round two.
If the Detroit Pistons do decide to trade their pick, they can’t do it until draft day because of the restrictions on the pick they owe the New York Knicks. It is inexplicable that a team this bad still owes a pick and has no extra draft assets to throw around, as most of the rebuilding teams are sitting on piles of draft assets while the Pistons have a deficit.
Detroit will have maximum 14 percent odds for the number one pick but statistically are far more likely to end up choosing 5th again, which may not matter as much in a draft where the best player might end up outside of the lottery.