There’s still a very good chance that the Detroit Pistons will keep the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and select former Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham.
That has been the case since Detroit landed the top selection in the NBA Draft lottery. However, rumors have persisted for the past couple weeks that general manager Troy Weaver and Co. have explored trade-down opportunities with interested teams willing to pay a premium.
Wing Jalen Green also impressed during pre-draft workouts, making the decision about who to take No. 1 a bit more difficult despite Cunningham being seen as the consensus top prospect in the class.
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, those around the NBA still expect Cunningham to go off the board at one. With that said, there’s been more talk about a trade down than in the past.
“Executives around the league are still predicting that Detroit will stay put and draft Cunningham, but there is at least increased chatter about the possibility of a trade down, or an outright selection of Jalen Green,” O’Connor noted.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the Detroit Pistons turned down an offer from the Oklahoma City Thunder that included stud young guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the sixth pick in Thursday’s draft. If that report is any indication, it will take a massive haul for Detroit to move off the first pick and risk Cunningham turning into a star with another team.
Houston Rockets remain Detroit Pistons best trade partner
Given Cunningham’s status as the top prospect and how much Green impressed in his workout with the Pistons, it stands to reason that Detroit wouldn’t want to move down any lower than two. For their part, the Rockets have been aggressive in looking to land the top pick from Detroit. Of all the scenarios, this might make the most sense.
In addition to the second pick, Houston boasts two more first-round selections (23rd and 24th overall). They would likely have to be included in a trade up. Neither pick would be the centerpiece heading back to the Detroit Pistons in a hypothetical blockbuster. Rather, the Rockets would likely have to offer up young guard Kevin Porter Jr. and at least one lightly-protected future first-round pick. Whether a rebuilding Houston squad led by general manager Rafael Stone believes that makes sense remains to be seen.
Other Detroit Pistons trade options during 2021 NBA Draft
It is surprising that Detroit would turn down the aforementioned trade offer from Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander, 23, is coming off a brilliant 2020-21 season that saw him average 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 51% from the field. Add in the sixth pick, and that’s a tremendous offer from the Thunder.
Perhaps, the two sides revisit this possibility with Thunder general manager Sam Presti continuing to remain proactive. Oklahoma City would likely have to exhaust some of the otherworldly future draft capital that it boasts to make this work.
Selecting No. 4 overall, the Toronto Raptors are a true wildcard. They have been linked to both trade-up and trade-down scenarios leading up to the annual draft. It’s not yet known whether Toronto wants to run it back with its current core group after a down 2020-21 season and with Kyle Lowry potentially set to leave in free agency. Either way, Toronto becomes an option.
While the Detroit Pistons are almost certainly going to draft Cade Cunningham No. 1, don’t be floored if they pull off a blockbuster trade at the top of the draft — shaking things up big time Thursday evening in Brooklyn.