3 Best options for Pistons with the 5th pick in 2023 NBA draft
The Detroit Pistons had the worst record in the NBA this season and even worse luck. Their lottery odds were in their favor, yet the Pistons ended up with the fifth overall pick.
Everyone tanked for No. 1 prospect Victor Wembanyama. He will not be around when the Pistons draft at the fifth spot. To make matters worse, this year’s class is considered a three-player draft. Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, and Brandon Miller are considered the top-three prospects in the draft and are a tier above the rest.
Detroit has drafted in the top five the past two seasons. They have drafted in the lottery since 2019. Let’s look at what the Pistons can do with their fifth overall draft pick this year.
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1. Add to their young core of talent
The obvious choice for the Pistons is to keep their pick and draft the best available player. Detroit has a young roster centered around Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. They also traded for former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman in a deal that sent out Saddiq Bey.
Kevin Durant became a Cade Cunningham fan after this performance.
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Detroit can use their pick to add a fourth top-five pick to add to their promising core. Most mock drafts have the Pistons choosing between Jarace Walker (Houston), Cam Whitmore (Villanova), or Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite).
Walker is a 6-foot-8 versatile forward with a large wingspan and defensive skills. He puts the effort on both ends and attacks the boards. He also has potential on offense to complement his defensive abilities.
Whitmore is a 6-foot-7 wing with a lot of strength and athleticism. He has explosive potential on offense as well and can be a shotmaker. He can be a creating wing in an NBA offense.
Thompson is one of the two Thompson twins in this year’s draft. The two spent their season with Overtime Elite, which is a league for 16-20-year-old draft prospects who want to skip the college route.
Thompson is a 6-foot-7 wing with a lot of versatility. He has playmaking abilities and can be a primary ball handler. He is an effective defensive player and has the size and speed to guard multiple positions.
2. Trade back in the draft
The Pistons could change their draft strategy. They have their own first and second-round picks. However, they could find someone to take their fifth pick and receive multiple picks this season instead.
This year’s draft is considered a three-player draft. So maybe the Pistons deal the pick for two first-round picks later in the draft. They could get two prospects to add to their young roster instead of one if they are not interested in someone at five.
3. Package the pick in a trade for a veteran
The Pistons could also use the pick as part of a trade package. The fifth pick would be a great deal sweetener if the Pistons want to accelerate their rebuild and attempt to acquire veteran talent to complement the young stars.
Detroit traded for veteran Bojan Bogdanovic before this season. They could use their pick to make a similar trade and try and acquire a bigger star to become a playoff contender next season.