Chicago — As the NBA Draft Combine nears an end, teams are getting more intel on the 78 players who chose to participate in the league’s annual evaluation summit.
ESPN draft analysts Jonathan Givony and Bobby Marks hosted a media conference Friday morning to discuss the combine and how teams should approach the NBA draft on June 22.
The Pistons, who had the worst record in the league, fell four spots — a franchise record — in the lottery, marking the second consecutive year that Detroit will draft outside of the top four. The franchise is aiming for a high-level forward to pair with its young backcourt of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, along with its bevy of big men.
Givony reiterated previous reports that the Pistons will likely target Overtime Elite wings Amen and Ausar Thompson, Villanova forward Cam Whitmore, Houston forward Jarace Walker and possibly Arkansas guard Anthony Black. The majority of those players possess the athleticism and versatility that Detroit needs at the wing spot to complement Bojan Bogdanovic and Isaiah Livers on the perimeter.
“I think, obviously, Detroit would be disappointed to fall from No. 1 to No. 5, but I’ve talked to their folks here and they recovered from it pretty quick,” Givony said. “They’re pretty excited about the caliber of player that’s going to be available to them at five with the Thompson twins, Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker and Anthony Black. I would think that’s going to be the group that Detroit really looks at.”
Givony described three tiers of the first 14 picks in this year’s draft. The prize of the class is Victor Wembanyama, who is projected to be the first player off the board when the San Antonio Spurs are on the clock with the No. 1 pick. The second tier includes G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson and Alabama forward Brandon Miller, both of whom possess unique skill sets that can help either the Charlotte Hornets or Portland Trail Blazers at No. 2 or 3, respectively.
The Pistons fall into the final tier, which is jam-packed with forwards with the likes of Whitmore, Walker and the Thompsons. Depending on who the Houston Rockets select at No. 4, Detroit should have a good group of players to choose from.
“All of these guys have significant physical tools to offer — defensive versatility; they’re all guys that know how to play with other players, specifically the Thompson twins and Anthony Black, so I think any of these guys can complement the (Pistons’) roster very well. I think they are guys that can contribute right away.”
Pistons general manager Troy Weaver was asked if he would consider trading the fifth pick if there’s an offer that makes sense, and he didn’t shy away from the idea, noting that they would do their due diligence and vet every scenario, but he also said the front office is excited about the draft pool.
Detroit finished with the worst record in the NBA this season at 17-65, after totaling just 23 wins the season before. It’s not absurd to think that after collecting enough young talent over the last three years that there would be a sense of urgency to improve the roster with another draft-night trade.
“Are they at the stage right now where they need to turn the page and start winning? You go from 17 wins to making the playoffs? That’s not easy,” Givony said, so if there’s an incredible trade there, I think they do it, but the NBA is in such a win-now mode. I don’t know how many teams are willing to take a step backward. I think they’re actually in really good shape here and I really think any of those guys can fit their roster really well.”
Marks, a former Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager and current ESPN front-office insider, was asked about where the Pistons’ coaching vacancy ranked among the rest of the league, especially since they didn’t win the lottery.
The Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors are also in need of new head coaches after Doc Rivers, Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams and Nick Nurse were all dismissed following their early exits. Unlike Detroit, the other teams are playoff contenders and have stricter timelines with more expectations.
“I think it’s probably attractive because you know you’re going to be there probably three or four years,” Marks said. Unlike some of these other spots, where you’re almost in a win-now mode. You have MVP-type players that you’re expecting to get to a conference final or an NBA Finals.
“I think it’s appealing because with Cade and Jaden, you’ve got a young backcourt that you can kind of mold. It’s an extremely young team. I think the fifth pick in the draft is appealing. I know they took a little bit of a step back here from a win total here, but I think the goal here is to be in a spot where Orlando is right now — to go from 17 (wins) to the 30 tier and show some type of development. They do have a ton of flexibility to continue this build.”
Detroit’s coaching search was briefly interrupted by the combine, but three finalists — former Overtime Elite coach Kevin Ollie, Bucks assistant Charles Lee and New Orleans Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins — met with Tom Gores last week. Ollie has first-hand experience with the Thompson twins as their former coach and Givony was asked if that relationship would influence Detroit’s draft in any way.
“I think it influences the draft in the sense that nobody knows the Thompson twins better than Kevin Ollie,” Givony said. “I think he’s an incredible resource to have with all the pros and cons with both of those kids, but I don’t know that it necessarily means that you have to take them if you don’t feel like that’s the best option for you at that point in the draft.
“I think the fit in Detroit is very strong, especially for Ausar Thompson with just the defensive versatility that he brings. 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, incredible athlete, much-improved shooter, can really pass the ball at the same time. The upside is off the charts with Ausar Thompson. It could be a marriage made in heaven, but even if you don’t hire Kevin Ollie, Ausar Thompson is still a very interesting fit on this roster in Detroit.”
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2