NBA Draft big board top 5 for the Detroit Pistons

By now, everyone has been told a million times how “weak” and “wide open” the 2024 NBA Draft is, but that doesn’t mean the Detroit Pistons can’t find a talent. 

Whether they go for a high ceiling unknown or a guy with a high floor who fills a need, the Pistons either have to walk away from the draft with a future rotation player or trade the pick for a more proven one.

With the NBA Draft Lottery less than a week away, we will soon see if the Pistons’ dismal season pays off in the form of a top draft pick, but no matter what, the Pistons will choose in the top five, so here is our big board top five for the Pistons as of right now. 

NBA Draft big board top 5 for the Detroit Pistons 

#5: Dalton Knecht 

Knecht would fall into the high floor category as a guy who can get buckets and should be able to at the next level. 

We know he can shoot from all over, so the questions that remain are whether he can defend enough to stay on the floor and whether his shooting will eventually translate to a more dynamic offensive game than just standing in the corner shooting 3’s. 

I’m not suggesting the Pistons should draft Knecht if they get the 5th pick, as they might be able to trade back, pick up an asset and get him anyway, but he has a skillset they need and is one of the only plug-and-play prospects in this draft. 

His shooting is a fit next to Cade Cunningham right away, almost as if they’d be getting a young version of Bojan Bogdanovic. Even though Knecht may never be a superstar, I do think a lot of fans would be happy with this pick just because he has a translatable skill and they’ve at least seen the guy play, unlike so many players in this draft.