With a new front office direction and a new head coach on the way, the Detroit Pistons are in a state of flux. However, it might be tough for the Pistons to overhaul their roster immediately given the presence of some (very) large contracts and very little in the way of obvious trade value. Making things even more interesting is that Detroit invested its 2018 first round draft pick in order to lure Blake Griffin in trade, leaving the new regime with only one draft selection (No. 42 overall) in which to add an infusion of young talent.
Of course, expectations must be tempered for a pick near the middle of the second round. On one hand, it is thoroughly possible to unearth a quality rotation piece in that range and Detroit should be focused on doing just that. On the other, the odds are stacked against the Pistons in some ways, as Detroit might want to lean toward upside, even with the reality that most “successful” picks at No. 42 (or in that range) come with pure role players that can add value in subtle ways.
Finally, the Pistons aren’t set to have a ton of roster turnover, with only Anthony Tolliver, James Ennis and Jameer Nelson set to enter unrestricted free agency. That should allow for a wide swath of prospects to be considered with Detroit’s one and only draft pick, although one would think they would like to get backcourt help if possible, given their shortcomings when Reggie Jackson was out this past season. With that in mind, here are a few realistic options that the franchise should consider.
- Jevon Carter – PG/SG, West Virginia – The Pistons made the fatal mistake of selecting Luke Kennard over Donovan Mitchell last year and they won’t soon live that choice down. However, it’s in the past and Kennard is actually a quality prospect, albeit with limitations on the defensive end. If the Pistons added Carter, they’d be picking up a tremendous defensive prospect with an unmatched motor and, while it wouldn’t be flashy, a backcourt of Carter and Kennard would be fun at times.
- Trevon Duval – PG, Duke – Duval wasn’t very good at Duke during his freshman season. That’s not kind but it’s just what happened. Still, it is (very) easy to see his upside, with a 6’8 wingspan and a 41.5-inch vertical leap to go with quick-twitch athleticism. If he can develop his jump shot and improve his decision-making, Duval would be a tantalizing prospect. There are a ton of risks but, at No. 42 overall, you can justify them.
- Devonte Graham – PG, Kansas – Unlike Duval, Graham is a high-floor, low-upside player. That may entice Detroit given that the point guard spot is anything but “safe” for the Pistons right now and Graham is certainly that. He can shoot, defend and make plays. That’s a nice combination for a backup point guard.
- Justin Jackson – PF/SF, Maryland – Jackson isn’t safe, mostly because of the injury issues that plagued his final college season. What he does have, though, is a 7’3 wingspan and a defensive projection that would be tremendous if the tools fell right. Much like Duval, we’ve reached the point in the draft where the upside outweighs the risk.
- Omari Spellman – C/PF, Villanova – The Pistons still owe Jon Leuer almost $20 million over the next two seasons but, with Tolliver hitting the market, Detroit needs another floor-spacing big man. Spellman would be perfect in that regard and, even with his defensive question marks (to put it kindly), it would be completely reasonable to invest in the middle of the second round.
