The Detroit Pistons made their interest in Ebuka Okorie crystal clear in round one, trading up from No. 21 to No. 17 with the Memphis Grizzlies to secure the offensive guard.
However, Detroit's decision to trade up immediately after the Oklahoma City Thunder is very telling.
One pick before Detroit landed Okorie, Sam Presti and the Thunder made the first draft night trade to secure Iowa standout Bennett Stirtz, who was widely viewed as a top target for the Pistons.
Nearly every mock draft leading up to the NBA Draft pinned Stirtz as a prime candidate to land in the Motor City, and it's easy to understand why, given his offensive production in college.
Stirtz averaged 19.8 points and 4.4 assists on 47.7% shooting from field goal range and 35.8% from three in his final season with the Hawkeyes, and as an older prospect, the possibility of him making an impact right away made him a natural fit to land with the Pistons.
When Presti and the Thunder pulled the trigger first, Trajan Langdon and Detroit were forced to pivot to their Plan B, at least that's how it seems.
Pistons seemed dialed in on landing Stirtz or Okorie
Through the Pistons pre-draft workouts, it felt as if they kept their pick, the team's preference would be adding some sort of offensive firepower that could bolster their second unit, while also adding a player who could run the offense in relief of Cunningham.
It's hard to pinpoint if Stirtz or Okorie was ranked higher on Detroit's big board, especially given that both prospects offer their own unique strengths.
Still, with the Thunder's trade up immediately triggering a domino effect for the Pistons to move up directly after, it suggests that the Pistons weren't confident that their preferred player would be available at No 21.
It cost the Pistons three future second-round picks to slide up four spots, but to secure the player of their choice, the move felt warranted for Detroit's front office.
In the end, though, Oklahoma City's aggressive move to land Stirtz may have led the Pistons to the better prospect all along.
Ebuka Okorie fits the Pistons needs more
Okorie proved to be one of the most natural scorers in his lone season at Stanford, averaging 23.2 points on 46.5% shooting from field goal range and 35.4% from three.
Despite being undersized, the 19-year-old is advanced in terms of understanding exactly how to get to his spots, and he could be the sparkplug type of scorer Detroit has desperately been searching for.
Okorie also showed plenty of upside as a facilitating playmaker running the Cardinals' offense, which alone makes his fit in the Motor City ideal.
Okorie and Sirtz would have both fit like a glove in Detroit, but given that he's a young prospect, the needed patience could lead them to the better player down the line.
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