| The Detroit News
With less than two weeks remaining before the NBA draft, Pistons general manager Troy Weaver and his staff continue to work on their strategy and draft board.
The path forward seems to be clear, with improving the roster as quickly as possible, whether it be through the draft, free agency or internal development.
The Pistons have the No. 7 pick in the first round and appear poised to add a quality player when the draft rolls around on Nov. 18. Many mock drafts have that player being point guard Killian Hayes, but with so many options and the significant depth in the first round, there’s more than one way to achieve that goal.
One option could be trading with the Boston Celtics, who have picks 14, 26 and 30 in the first round. The value could be there that the Celtics, who made the Eastern Conference finals and have a full roster, could consolidate their three picks into one higher pick.
Weaver didn’t discount the possibility of trading up or trading down to get better talent.
“We’re definitely looking at everything. We’re in a situation here where we’re trying to get the best players and replenish the cupboard,” Weaver said Thursday. “Everything’s on the table, so absolutely we would entertain that sort of scenario.”
The Pistons don’t have a second-round pick this year because they sent the pick to the Phoenix Suns in the deal for Marcus Morris and Reggie Bullock in 2015. With the depth of overall talent in the draft, that could be an avenue for improving the roster.
Weaver indicated that getting some second-round picks, whether with cash or another package or players or future picks, also is a possibility.
“We want to replenish our seconds and we’re definitely interested in picking up seconds in this year’s draft,” Weaver said.
Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard