Even with a 14-68 record, which placed them 15th in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons won’t have the top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
In fact, they won’t have the second, third, or even the fourth-best pick next month.
For the third season in a row, the Pistons will pick fifth. Last year, Detroit walked away with the defensive standout from Overtime Elite, Ausar Thompson.
Considering the Pistons remain a young team in the midst of a rebuild, many expect Detroit to make a selection and continue to build on their young core with an incoming rookie.
However, one Pistons insider believes that the Pistons should consider moving off their pick in favor of a proven veteran to help speed up the development of Cade Cunningham, especially since the fifth-overall pick is rumored to be growing in value.
“I walked away from the combine in Chicago this week still believing that Detroit should trade its pick to get more proven help sooner rather than later so that Cunningham is in the best position to succeed,” writes James Edwards of The Athletic. “I’ve talked to several people around the league around the last few days who do believe the No. 5 pick could be one of the more valuable picks in this draft if teams fall in love with a prospect or two because there isn’t a clear separation of talent at the top and the No. 5 pick comes with a cheaper rookie contract than the picks before it.”
The pressure is on the Pistons to start winning a lot more than they have over the last few seasons. The good news is that they have plenty of options. Exploring a trade for the fifth pick should absolutely be on Detroit’s agenda.
With the NBA Draft typically carrying more misses than hits, any pick presents a massive gamble. If there is a proven veteran talent on the table, the Pistons would be wise to show their franchise player they are serious about turning things around sooner than later.
First and foremost, the Pistons have to figure out their front-office situation. Currently, Detroit’s ownership is in search of a President of Basketball Operations to oversee the front office. Once that box is checked off, the Pistons are likely to begin making some key changes, and one of their first orders of business could be moving their first pick, depending on how valuable the fifth-overall slot becomes.
