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The Detroit Pistons are in the lottery again after finishing the 2022-23 NBA season with a league-worst 17-65 record. The Pistons were among teams who tanked heavily to lead the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, but the San Antonio Spurs drew the No. 1 pick this year.
The Pistons will draft No. 5 for the second straight season. They have another pick in the second round at No. 31. Detroit finishing in the lottery and the New York Knicks making the playoffs helped the Pistons keep at least one first-round pick this season.
The Pistons don't seem to be in a rush to accelerate their rebuild. They could keep the No. 5 pick and draft another young piece next to Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. They are likely to have options to indulge in a trade to acquire more picks and trade down in the process.
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According to rumors, the OKC Thunder, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards could all be interested in trading with the Pistons.
Looking at prospects the Detroit Pistons can draft with the No. 5 pick
Victor Wembanyama is undoubtedly a lock at No. 1 in the 2023 NBA Draft. Meanwhile, Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller could round off the top three. The order of Henderson and Miller's draft selection is uncertain, but the draft is much deeper outside of these three players.
The Detroit Pistons may have been the biggest losers at the draft lottery after failing to land a top-three pick despite finishing with the worst record. However, they could still add another quality asset with the No. 5 pick.
The Pistons need a reliable two-way forward to improve their roster. They have other positions filled out with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Isiah Stewart and James Wiseman. A starting-caliber player at the three or four is what they need.
According to various projections, the Detroit Pistons could select one of Jarace Walker, Cam Whitmore, Amen Thompson, Anthony Black, Taylor Hendricks or Ausur Thompson with their No. 5 pick. All players have the upside as solid two-way threats and the ability to develop as NBA players within a year or two.
With a coach like Monty Williams, who has proven himself time and again in developing young players into stars, the Pistons have a bevy of options for how they could go about their business in the upcoming draft.
