Detroit — The NBA playoffs are nearing the conference finals, but for the rest of the league, the offseason is about to shift into high gear, as the NBA Draft Lottery determines which lucky franchise will come away with the No. 1 overall pick, and Victor Wembanyama, the presumptive first-overall pick.
The Pistons will send Ben Wallace to Chicago to represent the franchise for the second time in three years, and there are multiple scenarios that could play out. Detroit could hit the jackpot and earn the No. 1 pick, which would surely make one of their worst seasons in franchise history worth the trouble.
However, there are several other outcomes that include Detroit falling anywhere from the second to the fifth pick in next month’s draft.
Here are five random spins on Tankathon.com to simulate how Detroit’s fate in the lottery could play out:
Spin No. 1
- Houston (moved up one spot): Victor Wembanyama
- San Antonio (moved up one): Scoot Henderson
- Utah (moved up six): Brandon Miller
- Charlotte (original position): Amen Thompson
- Detroit (dropped four): Cam Whitmore
What this means for the Pistons: In the absolute worst scenario, Detroit drops to fifth — again — and the sky starts falling because the last six months of losing didn’t produce a top-three pick. Just kidding, Pistons fans. All hope is not lost. While Detroit might’ve missed out on possibly two generational talents, there’s a ton of flexibility that comes with getting the fifth pick.
Since Wembanyama, Henderson, Miller and Amen Thompson are no longer available, the Pistons could opt to draft for positional need — a defensive forward with perimeter shooting — or they could trade the pick to a team looking to move up in the draft in exchange for a veteran to complement their young core. Either way, the Pistons are leaving here with something (cues the Denzel Washington meme).
This route would obviously mean some heavy lifting in free agency for the Pistons’ front office because adding Cade Cunningham to the current group wouldn’t necessarily guarantee Detroit as a contender for next year’s Play-In tournament.
Notable: No matter who receives the No. 1 pick, Wembanyama will be the first player off the board. His fit with the Rockets should pair well with their pair of young guards in Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. The 7-foot-5 forward would likely join Alperen Sengun in the frontcourt. The Spurs have been in need of a franchise point guard since Tony Parker’s heyday, and Scoot Henderson could be the perfect fit to pair with Kelden Johnson and Jeremy Sochan. Utah’s move from its original position of ninth to landing the No. 3 pick is significant. Adding a lengthy forward like Miller to the Jazz’s frontcourt of Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler could pose defensive nightmares for opposing offenses.
Spin No. 2
- Orlando (moved up five spots): Victor Wembanyama
- Portland (moved up three): Brandon Miller
- Indiana (moved up four): Scoot Henderson
- Charlotte (original position): Ausar Thompson
- Detroit (dropped four): Cam Whitmore
What this means for the Pistons: Since the last scenario centered around the Pistons trading the fifth pick, let’s say Detroit stays pat and selects Villanova forward Cam Whitmore to add to its core of young talent. Whitmore likely won’t have the opportunity to start right away, since Bojan Bogdanovic is the more talented forward at this point of his career, but he’ll add to the Pistons’ depth at the wing spot. The Pistons got exactly what they needed in the fifth-overall pick last season, as Jaden Ivey developed into more than a capable starter in the wake of Cade Cunningham’s season-ending injury. With that said, if Whitmore can use his athleticism and perimeter shooting in a role that fits the team, it would bode well for Detroit.
Notable: Orlando winning the No. 1 pick back-to-back would be the third time a team has won the lottery in consecutive years, and the second in the Magic’s history (1992-93). Cleveland, which received the No. 1 pick in 2014 and 2015, is the only other franchise that accomplished the feat. Adding Wembanyama to a lengthy Magic team that includes Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr., Bol Bol, Jonathan Issac and the Wagner brothers would instantly make Orlando an intriguing team to watch. Portland’s jump to provides the chance to add Miller to a group that already includes a pair of lethal scoring guards in Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons.
Spin No. 3
- Detroit (original position): Victor Wembanyama
- Charlotte (moved up two spots): Scoot Henderson
- Houston (dropped one): Brandon Miller
- Portland (moved up one): Amen Thompson
- San Antonio (dropped two): Anthony Black
What this means for the Pistons: This scenario is what most Pistons fans are salivating over. Big Ben’s magic worked for the second time in three years and Detroit is walking away with the first-overall pick. Wembanyama is coming to Detroit, but what exactly does that mean? It means the Pistons are getting one of the most talented prospects in recent memory. The addition of Wembanyama instantly places all eyes on Detroit and he would instantly impact the city on and off the- court.
Despite Wembanyama’s 7-5 frame, Detroit’s new head coach will be able to plug him anywhere in the lineup, but he’ll most likely start as a power forward alongside Jalen Duren. Wembanyama can play away from the basket since he can space the floor with his 3-point shooting and Duren can use his bulkier physique to bang with the other dominant bigs in the league. Cunningham and Ivey would have two lob threats in the starting lineup and the pick-and-roll would be a dangerous two-man game with either combination.
Notable: Charlotte’s decision to draft Henderson pairs him with LaMelo Ball makes for an electric backcourt with Ball’s playmaking and Henderson’s explosiveness. Miller joins a young team in Houston, and it’ll be up to newly-hired Ime Udoka to manage how he’ll fit in with Green, Porter Jr. and Kenyon Martin Jr.
Spin No. 4
- San Antonio (moved up two spots): Victor Wembanyama
- Washington (moved up six): Scoot Henderson
- Detroit (dropped two): Brandon Miller
- Utah (moved up five): Anthony Black
- Houston (dropped three): Jarace Walker
What this means for the Pistons: This isn’t the worst possibility, but the Pistons would likely welcome the third pick in the draft, since it means this scenario gives them the runway to select Miller. The Alabama freshman fits the bill of what Detroit needs and he would be able to contribute immediately since he has a defensive edge that fits the offensive skill sets of Cunningham and Ivey. Pairing him next to Stewart/James Wiseman and Duren could be one of the best defensive lineups for a team that desperately needs to improve on that end of the floor. Since general manager Troy Weaver is all about recruiting high-character talent, the Pistons would obviously do their due diligence and vet his involvement in last season’s incident with his teammate. If they feel comfortable about the person, then they’ll be getting an exceptional player to add to the roster.
Notable: Wembanyama landing in San Antonio like his French predecessor, Tony Parker, would make him the Spurs’ third No. 1 pick. He would join Tim Duncan and David Robinson as the franchise’s first-overall selections and he could extend Gregg Popovich’s coaching career by another four or five years. Washington, who entered the lottery with the eighth-best odds, adds Henderson to pair with Bradley Beal and possibly Kyle Kuzma (if he uses his player option to return).
Spin No. 5
- Utah (moved up eight spots): Victor Wembanyama
- Detroit (dropped one): Scoot Henderson
- San Antonio (original position): Ausar Thompson
- Charlotte (original position): Amen Thompson
- Houston (dropped three): Brandon Miller
What this means for the Pistons: Detroit receives the next-best thing to Wembanyama and receives the opportunity to draft either Henderson or Miller with the second pick. The Pistons’ front office could take the best available prospect and ignore their positional needs, meaning Henderson winds up in Motown. So, what is Detroit going to do with a group of guards that includes Cunningham, Ivey, Henderson and Killian Hayes? Let them figure it out, of course. The more talent and ball-handlers, the better. The Pistons could run a three-guard lineup of Henderson, Ivey, and Cunningham to pair with any two of their stable of bigs. If the experiment doesn’t work, the team could figure out which guard didn’t rise to the cream of the crop and cut bait as soon as it’s feasible. Regardless, the second pick still paints a bright future in Detroit.
Notable: Utah lands the first-overall pick after starting with its original position at ninth and winds up as the biggest jump in the NBA Draft lottery since the eighth-place New Orleans Pelicans leapfrogged and got the No. 1 pick in 2019 to draft Zion Williamson. Wembanyama heads west and joins Markkanen and Kessler in the frontcourt and Jazz coach Will Hardy could play him at the small-forward position.
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2