Detroit Free Press

CHICAGO — Moussa Diabate was drenched in sweat as he addressed reporters at the NBA draft combine. He had just completed a five-on-five scrimmage on the Wintrust Arena floor in front of NBA team evaluators, and a workout followed immediately after. After a promising freshman season for Michigan basketball, the 6-foot-10 big man decided to enter

Keegan Murray has a strong chance to be drafted by the Detroit Pistons at No. 5 overall. A player already on Detroit’s roster has been guiding him through his draft process.  Luka Garza, drafted by the Pistons at No. 52 overall in 2021, was teammates with Murray at Iowa during the 2020-21 season. Garza won

Max Christie didn’t enter his freshman season at Michigan State basketball with the expectation that he would be a one-and-done. But after the Spartans’ loss to Duke in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Christie realized he was ready.  The opportunity to prove himself in the NBA outweighed his desire to return to East Lansing

The Detroit Pistons will pick fifth in the 2022 NBA draft June 23. It’s not the outcome the team preferred, as they entered Tuesday’s lottery in the third spot. But it’s an outcome they’re still happy with and will be the team’s third-highest pick post 1994. Historically, the fifth slot has produced star-level talent, and general

In April, Cade Cunningham finished third in the NBA Rookie of the Year race. So the Detroit Pistons’ 2021 first overall pick’s latest award isn’t a surprise.  Cunningham was named to the 2021-22 All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced Wednesday. He was one of three players unanimously voted to the team, joining Cleveland Cavaliers big

It’s the most … wonderful time … of the year — for draft aficionados. The NBA draft lottery results Tuesday night gave us the draft order for the 14 lottery teams in the draft June 23 in Brooklyn. The Detroit Pistons have the fifth overall pick after dropping two spots in the lottery, won by the

Apple Podcasts | Spotify • Hosts: Bryce Simon (@MotorCityHoops) and Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) • Producer: Wes Davenport • Editor: Cary Junior II • Executive producers: Anjanette Delgado, Kirkland Crawford • Email: brycesimon3309@gmail.com; osankofa@freepress.com On this episode: We know now where the Pistons will pick in the first round of the NBA draft. After dealing with the initial shock of falling to fifth overall, the guys break

It’s too early to deliver a verdict on the Detroit Pistons’ rebuild. But nearly three years in, this much is clear — they’ve done a good job at drafting. They’ve produced three All-Rookie players in the last two drafts, which Troy Weaver dutifully reminded reporters and fans after Tuesday’s unsatisfying lottery outcome in which the Pistons

When the Detroit Pistons won the NBA draft lottery last year, Troy Weaver said his faith never wavered. He would have been as ready to pick fifth or first. The Pistons general manager is going to need to lean on that faith again this year after his team was one of the lottery’s biggest losers

The Detroit Pistons got lucky during last year’s NBA draft lottery, moving up one spot to secure the first overall pick. That pick became Cade Cunningham, who had one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history. The Pistons didn’t get lucky this year. They entered Tuesday’s lottery with the third-best odds, but fell two spots

Detroit Pistons fans just wanted more losses. That’s the indication after the Pistons, owners of the third-worst record in the league last season, “fell” to the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NBA draft following Tuesday’s lottery. Trouble was brewing for Detroit fans after deputy NBA commissioner Mark Tatum announced during the Chicago ceremony that the

It’s the most dramatic and franchise-changing 15 minutes in television annually. The NBA draft lottery selection takes place Tuesday night, where 14 draft slots will be decided in Chicago for the NBA draft June 23 in Brooklyn. Of course, the lottery will have already been decided in a separate room by the time results are made public

It’s gonna be one-and-done for Max Christie. The Michigan State basketball guard, who completed his freshman season in East Lansing before entering the NBA draft this spring, is hiring an agent, forfeiting the rest of his college eligibility. MSU coach Tom Izzo said “after taking some time the last few months to focus on preparation

The Detroit Pistons have a long list of tasks this summer. They’ll have significant cap space, a strong chance to land a top-four pick for the second year in a row and several pending roster decisions. After Tuesday, the front office could have a much easier time mapping out its offseason. The NBA’s 2022 draft lottery

Bob Lanier was more than a reference in one of Hollywood’s goofiest movies. But the reference is instructive for what he meant to the Detroit sports scene in the 1970s. The longtime Detroit Pistons center and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer died Tuesday night at 73 after a short illness. I don’t remember his

Isiah Thomas made his NBA debut Oct. 30, 1981 with the Detroit Pistons. They hosted the Milwaukee Bucks at the Pontiac Silverdome, and Milwaukee’s roster featured arguably the greatest Piston in franchise history at the time — Bob Lanier. Lanier would eventually become a friend and mentor to Thomas, who led the Pistons to their

When Bob Lanier roamed the paint for the Detroit Pistons, the game was different. It was the 1970s and there was no 3-point line or coach’s challenge. The Pistons played in the Western Conference. The iconic Pistons “Bad Boys” were still “boys” — Isiah Thomas was not yet a teenager when Lanier made his first All-Star appearance

Bob Lanier. whose stellar career with the Detroit Pistons in the 1970s was hampered both by injuries and his desire for a title, has died at age 73 after a short illness, the NBA announced Tuesday night. Lanier, taken No. 1 overall by the Pistons in 1970 out of St. Bonaventure, spent parts of 10 seasons with

Bob Lanier. whose stellar career with the Detroit Pistons in the 1970s was hampered both by injuries and his desire for a title, has died at age 73, the NBA announced Tuesday night. Lanier, taken No. 1 overall by the Pistons in 1970 out of St. Bonaventure, spent parts of 10 seasons with the franchise, averaging 22.7

The NBA released the 76 players invited to the NBA scouting combine in Chicago, May 16-22. Among the invitees are a pair of early entrants that would interest local fans. Freshmen Max Christie, of Michigan State basketball, and Moussa Diabate, of Michigan basketball, both made the cut. Christie, a 6-foot-6 guard, started all 35 games