Wild hypothetical if the Pistons land the #1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft
The Detroit Pistons have the worst record in the NBA again, which means they will have maximum odds for the #1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft barring a huge turnaround in their season.
But we are all aware it doesn’t matter, as the Pistons had the worst record last season and dropped to the 5th pick, and the odds of that happening again are higher than them getting #1.
It may not matter in this draft anyway, as there isn’t a clear favorite and mock drafts have been all over the place, with no consensus on anything. There is even more uncertainty due to several of the top prospects coming from overseas, so many American fans have not even seen these guys play.
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If the Pistons were to buck the odds and land the top pick, as they did when they drafted Cade Cunningham, they would have options.
Detroit Pistons options with the #1 pick
The Pistons could certainly just add another young player to their already young team, as teams rarely trade the first pick and most of the time they have, it hasn’t worked in their favor.
The whole point of tanking is to get repeated chances at landing a future superstar, and even though this has been billed as a “weak” draft, it will almost certainly produce a couple.
The Pistons could also package their pick in a trade, though they are not allowed to move it until draft day because of the restrictions on the pick they owe the Knicks.
Even in a draft that is perceived as weak at the top, the #1 pick will have value, especially if the Pistons were to package it with one of their young players. If there is a star available this offseason, that’s the start of a very good trade package.
But what if the Pistons really like one of the players in the draft? Here is a hypothetical in which Detroit keeps the #1 pick and trades one of the young players they already have instead.