Pistons fans were on edge for a few weeks ahead of Thursday’s NBA Draft. The rumors abounded of the general manager Troy Weaver being unsure of whether Cade Cunningham would be the No. 1 pick, or whether there might be a different path.
Jalen Green? Evan Mobley? Somebody else?
It didn’t help that Weaver is something of a wild card and doesn’t follow the crowd when making his decisions. For everyone else, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Cunningham, a 6-foot-8 wunderkind, would be the pick, from the moment the Pistons won the draft lottery last month. The fist pumps weren’t for Jalen Green and a few future first-round picks, were they?
The suspense lasted until Thursday afternoon, when news broke that the Pistons were committed to Cunningham and that he would be the selection.
Everyone exhaled. The uncertainty was taxing on many people, even in the Pistons’ front office, as they went back and forth about all the options. In the end, it seemed that there wasn’t a trade package that was worth the immediate impact that Cunningham would bring. Green and Mobley have their merits, but it seems that Cunningham has the “it” that they’re missing.
Cunningham wants to be in Detroit — as in, he really wants to be in Detroit. The Cartier Buffs were not some gimmick to curry favor. That’s who he really is. Cunningham will be a favorite of Pistons fans on Greenfield and 7 Mile as well as those on Woodward and 15 Mile, from Lincoln Park to Elizabeth Park.
More: Rod Beard grades the Pistons in the 2021 NBA Draft
He has a chance to be the most relatable and accepted athlete in Detroit sports in a long time — and that means something. He’s already more outspoken than Jerami Grant or Killian Hayes or Saddiq Bey. He brings an understated panache that many other athletes haven’t attained.
That’s only part of why Cunningham was the right pick.
This edition of The Monday Drive takes a look at some observations from draft week:
► 1. Trading Mason Plumlee to the Charlotte Hornets before the draft seemed to be a head-scratcher, because Plumlee was so valuable last season, outplaying his contract and delivering some solid production. His contract, at three years and $25 million, was always going to be dealt, at some point. It was a value deal a year ago, and it’s still a value deal. They got a year of him mentoring Isaiah Stewart and holding down the position until they were ready for the next option. Plumlee didn’t gripe about anything and was a good presence to have, and though they had to give up the No. 37 pick to unload the last two years of the contract, they opened some room to make other moves in free agency.
► 2. Waiving Cory Joseph, Deividas Sirvydis and Tyler Cook was somewhat surprising as well. Joseph’s situation wasn’t as big a surprise, because they weren’t likely to pick up his full contract for $12.6 million; instead, they will eat the $2.4 that was guaranteed and move in another direction. With Hayes and Saben Lee as the primary point guards, there wasn’t a need to have an expensive additional option. Cook’s departure was a little unexpected, but with his non-guaranteed contract, there was no real risk there. It likely means they’re looking at other — maybe more experienced — options in free agency. Sirvydis was a curious draft pick from the beginning, and after he stayed in Europe for his first year, it was unclear why the timing was right for him to come to the Pistons. It’s only $1.5 million on the books, so it’s not that harmful.
► 3. Luka Garza might be one of the steals of the second round. When was the last time a national player of the year was sitting on the board that late in the draft? He has a solid skill set and there’s a world where he can develop into a player for the Pistons. He shot over 40% on 3-pointers and he has some skills in the paint. The league has gotten away from big men, and Garza may have been a victim of some of that stigma for big men. He looked like he dropped some weight — he was around 265 pounds at Iowa — and if he can run the court, he might be a better fit than many analysts guessed. At worst, it’s a low-risk pick that could pan out later.
► 4. One of the things that stuck out about Cunningham at the draft was that he was composed and collected the whole time. Even when he stepped into a room to do a string of media interviews for different outlets, he didn’t complain about it; he did each one with interest and energy, even when he has to repeat some of the same answers. I’ve seen where some stars have spoken out and resented those opportunities. He didn’t want to talk about himself; it was about how he’d help the Pistons turn things around. That maturity will be an immense asset as he finds his way in the locker room with his new teammates.
► 5. The Pistons enter free agency Monday with no real surprises. They extended qualifying offers to Hamidou Diallo, Frank Jackson and Lee. They’re all expected to be part of the core moving forward, and unless another team makes a surprising offer, each of the three should be back. If the Pistons get to about $16 million in cap space, they could bring in some more help at center or another forward. Don’t think that Weaver will stand pat with this roster; he’s shown already that he’s full of surprises.
Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard