Does this trade make sense for the Detroit Pistons?
The Detroit Pistons do not necessarily seem locked-in with the #1 overall pick in this year’s draft and for good reason. They are extremely high on the likes of Jalen Green and Evan Mobley outside of just Cade Cunningham, which is why they could be open to moving down a pick or two in order to acquire a handful of other assets for the future.
There really is not much that separates Cunningham, Green and Mobley, which is why the Pistons probably do not really have a preference. All three of these guys are very different players, but they all present a ton of upside, which is why Detroit finds themselves stuck here.
Seeing as they have Mason Plumlee and just drafted Isaiah Stewart last year, it seems logical that the Pistons would be favoring Jalen Green over Evan Mobley if they were to consider not taking Cade Cunningham first overall, which is why they could be interested in moving back.
However, if the Pistons were to move back to draft Jalen Green instead of Cade Cunningham, then they would have to get the second overall pick, which is owned by the Houston Rockets.
READ MORE: NBA Rumors: 4 teams looking to trade up for No. 1 pick in 2021 NBA Draft
Getting the 6th pick and 16th pick does not do them any good in terms of getting on of the top players in this year’s draft, that is unless they are able to take this trade with the Thunder and then flip it around to trade with the Rockets or Cavaliers for the 2nd or 3rd overall pick.
Hypothetically, I do not believe that the Pistons would even trade the first overall pick to the Thunder if Oklahoma City offered up 4-5 first-round picks. The Pistons want to be able to form a young core that can start being competitive as soon as possible and they need one of the top players in this year’s draft to achieve this.
READ MORE: NBA Rumors: 1 ideal trade target for each team in the NBA Draft Lottery
Getting a bunch of mid first-round guys expands Detroit’s core, but at the end of the day, they would not really be getting any better with the 6th, 16th and 18th picks in this year’s draft, assuming the Thunder throw in their third first-round pick into this deal as well.
Oklahoma City would likely have to offer up their prized assets in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort or Darius Bazley, along with first-round draft compensation in order for the Pistons to give up their first overall pick because the Thunder do not have the means to trade any assets that give the Pistons a top pick in this year’s draft.
