| Detroit Free Press
Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver: We wanted to ‘attack the NBA draft’
Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver speaks after the NBA draft about his aggressive mindset, Killian Hayes and the team’s huge draft haul, Nov. 18, 2020.
Troy Weaver’s first draft with the Detroit Pistons will be remembered as one of the most active nights in the history of the organization.
If you told Pistons fans on Wednesday morning the franchise would acquire two first-round picks in the top-19 of the 2020 NBA draft, along with a high second-rounder, the praise would’ve been near-universal.
For the most part, I agree. Weaver was aggressive in finding ways to acquire players on his draft board, and he leveraged a significant portion of the Pistons’ $30 million in cap space to get it done. If you wanted a sign the Pistons are closer to rebuilding than they are to chasing the playoffs, that’s a big tell.
[ Pistons’ stunning 2020 NBA draft haul reveals something stunning about their future ]
It’s tough to grade Wednesday’s draft in a vacuum. Detroit will certainly make more moves before the week is over, meaning the context under which some of Wednesday’s trades were made could change. But for now, the Pistons did well to jumpstart their youth movement and add players who’ll set the tone for a new era.
Here are the grades.
Round 1
Killian Hayes, PG, ratiopharm Ulm in Germany (No. 7 overall)
I had the Pistons selecting Hayes in my last two mock drafts and wrote a column explaining why he’s the right pick to lead the rebuild. Obviously, I’m a fan of this pick. Hayes has just about every quality you’d want in a lead point guard. He’s big for the position at 6-foot-5, competes hard on offense and defense, has great footwork, excels in the pick-and-roll and thrived while playing in a German league against grown men at the age of 18.
He’s not a perfect prospect — some analysts are concerned about his outside shooting, and he isn’t an elite athlete. In this draft, you can live with that. He’s a good free-throw shooter and has good touch, which indicates he’ll figure out how to boost his percentages from outside. If Hayes reaches his potential, he has a chance to be the best guard to come out of his class. Grade: A
OVERSEAS: Killian Hayes has a similar background to Kobe Bryant
PICK EXPLAINED: Why Pistons chose Killian Hayes to lead rebuild
EXPERT: Watch this scouting video from draftnik who ranked Killian Hayes No. 1
Isaiah Stewart, C, Washington (No. 16)
This one doesn’t appear to be a home run, as many mock drafts pegged Stewart as a late first-rounder. But the Pistons were interested in drafting a center, and Weaver’s draft history with the Oklahoma City Thunder shows he isn’t afraid to reach for a player he believes in. Stewart was in the top 10 on Detroit’s draft board, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the franchise’s thinking.
He’s a throwback center with a diverse, bruising post game, who excels as a screener and rebounder. He has one of the highest motors in the draft and has some upside as a shooter, thanks to his touch from midrange. He has some resemblance to another center who Weaver liked more than the rest of the field — Steven Adams, who went 12th overall to the Thunder in 2013. There’s still a place for traditional centers in today’s NBA, and I think Stewart will be a good pro. But I’m not convinced he was the best use of the 16th pick, which the Pistons obtained by sending a protected future first-round pick to Houston and taking on Trevor Ariza’s contract. Grade: C-plus
Saddiq Bey, F, Villanova (No. 19)
Similar to Hayes, an argument can be made Bey was the best-available player at 19. He was a potential lottery pick thanks to his strong outside shooting (45.1% last season) and defensive versatility. Villanova has a reputation for producing good 3-and-D players. I love this pick. The Pistons had to part ways with Luke Kennard to acquire Bey, which some fans didn’t like. But considering the timeline for Detroit’s rebuild, it made sense to find value for Kennard, who’s due for a raise and had injury concerns. Bey is a superior defender and should be just as capable as a catch-and-shoot wing. Grade: A-minus
[ Saddiq Bey: What ESPN analysts say about the pick ]
Round 2
Saben Lee, PG, Vanderbilt (No. 38)
The Pistons like Lee, an athletic 6-2 point guard with a 6-9 wingspan who thrives when getting the the rim. They liked Lee enough, in fact, to send cash and future considerations to the Utah Jazz for the 38th pick, taking back center Tony Bradley in return. Lee averaged 18.6 points per game last season as a junior last season and will sign a two-way contract with the Pistons. This has a chance to be a good upside play for Detroit. Grade: B
Overall draft grade: B-plus
Wednesday’s moves reduced Detroit’s cap space by roughly two-thirds, meaning the margins for them retaining free agent big man Christian Wood are currently a little thinner entering Friday’s free agency period. It almost certainly takes them out of the running for point guard Fred VanVleet, which I think is a good thing. They can make additional moves to free up more cap space, but overall, Weaver did well to leverage that cap space for assets.
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Here’s what experts are saying about the Pistons’ draft night
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.