The 2022 NBA Draft is days away and the rumors are swirling around what the Detroit Pistons may do. With many regarding this as a three or four player draft, Troy Weaver has the opportunity to really “start” the draft with the No. 5 pick. We polled the team at DBB to see what the best- and worst-case scenarios may be come Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
1. What would be the worst-case scenario, in your eyes, for the Pistons on draft night?
Laz Jackson: The worst-case scenario is Troy Weaver panicking, trading assets to move up a single spot to take Jaden Ivey. Not that there’s anything wrong with Ivey (he would not be my choice, but I definitely understand why he would be a good one), but surrendering assets seems like the wrong thing to do at this point in the Restoration. The Pistons are already out one future first round pick and haven’t been able to gin up a market for Jerami Grant; digging deeper isn’t the way to go.
Ben Gulker: Either Jaden Ivey at No. 5 or including that pick to move up to No. 4 (I don’t see enough differentiation among the prospects to warrant this swap).
Brady Fredericksen: I’m with Ben and Laz. Trading for Jaden Ivey (or whoever) at No. 4 would be bad. I’ve been smitten with Ivey over the past few weeks, but giving up, say, Jerami and the No. 5 pick to move up to No. 4 would be a horrendous move. It’s not something that I’d expect to happen, but giving away assets like that for a guy who isn’t a universal blue-chip prospect would be bad.
2. What would be the best-case scenario, in your eyes, for the Pistons on draft night?
Laz Jackson: Everyone’s been smokescreening and Chet Holmgren falls to 5. LOL. Seriously, I think the best-case scenario for the Pistons is the Unity Ticket Proposal I outlined on Locked on Pistons: Trade Jerami Grant for the 7th pick (looking unlikelier and unlikelier by the day, sadly; Portland has their sights set higher than Jerami with that pick) and draft Keegan Murray at 5 and Shaedon Sharpe at 7. That’s the best mix of talent, short-and-long-term upside, and shoring up positional weaknesses I think the Pistons could accomplish.
Ben Gulker: If the mythical Jerami Grant to Portland trade is still on the table, and somehow Sharpe, Ben Math, or Murray remains on the board at 7… my, my, my. Otherwise, Murray and Ben Math are 1a and 1b for me (flip flop multiple times per day), and one of them should be available.
Brady Fredericksen: I’d say Ivey falling to Detroit at No. 5 is a start. He’s an athletic guard who can get it and freaking go, a type of guard the Pistons have, frankly, never really had. Then, trade Grant to Portland for No. 7 and grab one of Ben Mathurin, Jeremy Sochan, Jalen Duren or, I guess, Shaedon Sharpe. Aside from Laz’s unlikely-but-amazing scenario of Chet falling to No. 5, this is the way.
3. What is the most out-of-left-field crazy thing that could happen to the Pistons on draft night?
Laz Jackson: Kings punt on trade calls, select Keegan Murray for immediate help at 4, and Old Co-Workers Sam Presti and Troy Weaver work out a trade where OKC gets Jaden Ivey and Detroit gets a section of Presti’s pick hoard plus Lugentz Dort. OKC does hold a future Detroit first that it would be nice to get our hands back on.
Ben Gulker: I would be surprised to see Weaver cook something up to trade into the first round outside the lottery, where he’s had success with Saddiq and Stew. I couldn’t tell you where anymore than I could have told you where when that all transpired, though.
Brady Fredericksen: Dyson Daniels at No. 5 then dealing Grant to a team that isn’t Atlanta or Portland. Daniels is a guy that has really grown on me recently. I worry a little bit about his athleticism and shooting concerns, but both seem to be pretty not bad, top. You can see some vertical pop and you can see the makings of a good jumper — it’s not as Killian 2.0, as I initially worried. The Grant trade is the wildcard. If he ends up being dealt to a mystery team — someone lurking in the shadows — that changes the draft calculus significantly as we’ve all been mentally planning for him to either stay, go to the Blazers, go to the Hawks or go to the Suns as part of a DeAndre Ayton deal.
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As always, let us know what you think in the comments!
1. What would be the worst-case scenario, in your eyes, for the Pistons on draft night?
2. What would be the best-case scenario, in your eyes, for the Pistons on draft night?
3. What is the most out-of-left-field crazy thing that could happen to the Pistons on draft night?