The NBA Draft Lottery is dropping on Sunday, May 12. The Detroit Pistons, as has been their habit for several years, have the top odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick. They can also drop as low as the fifth overall selection. In fact, if you’re a fan of math, dropping to five is the most likely scenario.
Let’s get to the specifics on how and when to watch the Draft Lottery, and then we will talk some more about how the lottery could impact the Pistons’ plans.
How to Watch the NBA Draft Lottery
When: Sunday, May 12
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Watch: ABC
This year, the Pistons will be represented by Asuar Thompson, Detroit’s pick in last year’s draft when they fell to No. 5 after the NBA Draft Lottery. While it was a gut punch to fall to fifth in the same year that Victor Wembanyama was a sure bet to go No. 1 overall, this year there are no clear top candidates for the first overall selection.
NBA Draft Lottery Odds
Detroit Pistons
Odds to get No. 1 pick: 14%
Odds to get top-2 pick: 27.4%
Odds to get top-3 pick: 40.1%
Odds to get top-4 pick: 52.1%
Odds to get fifth pick: 47.9%
Other No. 1 pick odds
Washington Wizards: 14%
Charlotte Hornets: 14%
Portland Trail Blazers: 13.2%
San Antonio Spurs: 10.5%
Toronto Raptors: 9%
Memphis Grizzlies: 7.5%
Utah Jazz: 6%
Brooklyn Nets: 4.5%
Atlanta Hawks: 3%
Chicago Bulls: 2%
Houston Rockets: 1.5%
Sacramento Kings: 0.8%
Golden State Warriors: 0.7%
What should the Detroit Pistons do?
This year, the NBA Draft lacks not just star power but maybe even starter power. There will be some players that pop from this draft, as there always are, but most teams appear to be going into this draft cycle thinking about rotational depth more than they are thinking about difference makers.
When you’re a team like the Detroit Pistons, which is loaded with young players needing playing time and needing to improve, the big question becomes what should Detroit do at each of their potential landing spots—take a player or trade the pick?
And do the odds go up or down the further you slide down the draft board? The top overall picks are guaranteed a sizeable chunk of money — that’s great when you are potential stars that could be playing on a discount for years. That’s less ideal when you think the ceiling for a player is a sixth or seventh man in a rotation.
Does Detroit stick at No. 1 and draft Alex Sarr? That would likely mean trading incumbent big man Jalen Duren. The same could be said regarding Jaden Ivey if they had their sights set on a player like Nikola Topic, Reed Sheppard, or Stephon Castle at No. 1.
If they slide a bit further down, do they try to add a shooting wing they have been so desperate for in Zaccharie Risacher, Dalton Knecht or Matas Buzelis? Do they simply take best player available, despite offensive limitations, like a Ron Holland or a Cody Williams?
Or should they be trading the pick to the highest bidder no matter what in an attempt to either get a clear starter-level talent or aggregate the pick along with an Ivey and/or a Duren, and what level starter will that even net you these days?
There are no easy decisions for the Pistons, and the folks doing all the draft evaluations might not even be employed by the franchise one month from now. But, hey, I’ll be watching the lottery. And can’t wait to see Detroit’s logo pop up at the No. 5 overall pick.
The saving grace, I suppose, is that any team, including the Pistons, could be picking at five and still get the first or second player on their big board.