It's time! Ping-pong balls of doom. Sunday May 12th 3pm

[Kalamazoo317]

Even though I don't particularly care about this lottery, I do think it was incredibly stupid that the team was playing those ridiculous G-league lineups at the end of the year, clearly trying to stay below Washington in the standings. That's some bad basketball karma IMO, and offensive to the fans.

Maybe after dropping to #5 this many times we'll stop operating with such a loser mentality and prize winning games (any games, no matter what) over "increasing our odds." I think we've just been a little too "cute" with how our franchise operates, trying to outsmart everyone and doing nothing but building a losing culture.

Houston loaded up on solid vets to try to support their young guys, were in legit contention for the play-in all season, and got rewarded by the fates. Atlanta held onto their treadmill team instead of trading off any of the major names, and got rewarded by the fates.

Maybe we should just focus on what we can control, which is trying to bring in good players and get better and fight every night instead of creating such a permission structure for losing because "it's smarter."

Totally agree with the bad karma and offensive to fans. Lets root out all the folks in the front office who thought kicking the can down the road and not really trying to compete yet was "smarter" and bring in some winners who actually hate losing instead.

I don’t disagree with your premise of try to win games, but for the sake an accuracy, their 3rd overall pick is because of them getting Brooklyns pick, not their own.

Fair point! Though Brooklyn also cared more about winning last year. They fired their coach (who was still a better coach than Monty) in the middle of the season because they were so fed up with losing.

[BDM22]

Maybe after dropping to #5 this many times we'll stop operating with such a loser mentality and prize winning games (any games, no matter what) over "increasing our odds." I think we've just been a little too "cute" with how our franchise operates, trying to outsmart everyone and doing nothing but building a losing culture.

Houston loaded up on solid vets to try to support their young guys, were in legit contention for the play-in all season, and got rewarded by the fates. Atlanta held onto their treadmill team instead of trading off any of the major names, and got rewarded by the fates.

Maybe we should just focus on what we can control, which is trying to bring in good players and get better and fight every night instead of creating such a permission structure for losing because "it's smarter."

Totally agree with the bad karma and offensive to fans. Lets root out all the folks in the front office who thought kicking the can down the road and not really trying to compete yet was "smarter" and bring in some winners who actually hate losing instead.

I don’t disagree with your premise of try to win games, but for the sake an accuracy, their 3rd overall pick is because of them getting Brooklyns pick, not their own.

Fair point! Though Brooklyn also cared more about winning last year. They fired their coach (who was still a better coach than Monty) in the middle of the season because they were so fed up with losing.

Brooklyn handing Houston the #3 pick is the perfect cautionary tale for the Pistons fans that really wish we could get back the NYK pick to open up a bunch of picks for trades... Brooklyn ends up in this scenario where they can't really rebuild even though they need to, because it makes them look horribly incompetent if they're handing Houston super high draft picks. Couldn't sell high on Bridges, Cam Johnson, or Claxton. And still they're not even good enough to actually get into the playoffs so it happens anyways. The ultimate purgatory.

These flattened lottery odds really should be eliminating trades of unprotected future 1sts.

[Kalamazoo317]

Fwiw while I'd be just fine moving Ivey and Duren for quality vets, I am never a fan of moving a ton of future firsts. I think that is the best way to kill future hope (Phoenix, Clippers, even Lakers seem good now but mortgaged their future far too much for my taste).

[MotownMadness]

The 25 draft is our chance out of this mess and it's to hard to land a top 3 pick

[NYPiston]

This is an over-simplification to create a false narrative. Trading Cade for picks and trying to get other young players in isn’t a bad strategy when you consider that if we don’t improve enough he’s going to ask out in 2 years anyway. Our ability to improve significantly is capped at how much our other players can improve or what vets we can trade them for but since weaver did nothing in terms of asset accumulation (in fact gave our assets) we have no real way to trading for better players. You need to start your rebuild with some assets, we had negative assets.

It’s also dependant on how many picks we could get. If we could get several and pushed out far enough where they could be really high that would be a great start.

Or maybe, and I know this is a foreign concept to the Pistons front office, build a team around the player you drafted #1 outside of collecting lottery picks, reclamation projects and washed up vets so that player doesn't ask out in 2 years. I know, it's crazy but seems like a good strategy to me to actually build a team instead of trading the one decent thing in your franchise for more lottery tickets that will likely turn out to be more Iveys and Durens that don't really move the needle.

[Canadafan]

Fwiw while I'd be just fine moving Ivey and Duren for quality vets, I am never a fan of moving a ton of future firsts. I think that is the best way to kill future hope (Phoenix, Clippers, even Lakers seem good now but mortgaged their future far too much for my taste).

Especially if you're a franchise like ours that can't sign free agents like L.A

[Snakebites]

Houston looking to shop their pick. I don’t think we’re in a position where we should really want to trade for it but think that speaks to the weakness of the draft.

The Rockets made strides but still aren’t at a point where they couldn’t use more youth.

[buzzkilloton]

I see a few posters saying "trade Cade for picks". If we trade Cade for a bunch of picks and pick swaps whats going to happen is the team he goes to is going to be all in on winning and turn into a good team. Imagine trading him to the Spurs(this has been mentioned multiple times in diff threads here) Wemby and Cade would turn into a powerhouse and we would be loaded up on crappy picks so gross. Regardless no GM is going to trade Cade at this point, maybe in a few years if things arent working out we move him for a bunch of stuff.

Only thing I'm down about about falling to 5 this year is the trade value on the pick. If we werent going to trade it I'd rather hold it and just draft Reed Sheppard or Dalton Knecht. Ofc Troy likely wont draft them and we will grab another "what if" he could shoot type player or a center.

[Snakebites]

I see a few posters saying "trade Cade for picks". If we trade Cade for a bunch of picks and pick swaps whats going to happen is the team he goes to is going to be all in on winning and turn into a good team. Imagine trading him to the Spurs(this has been mentioned multiple times in diff threads here) Wemby and Cade would turn into a powerhouse and we would be loaded up on crappy picks so gross. Regardless no GM is going to trade Cade at this point, maybe in a few years if things arent working out we move him for a bunch of stuff.

Only thing I'm down about about falling to 5 this year is the trade value on the pick. If we werent going to trade it I'd rather hold it and just draft Reed Sheppard or Dalton Knecht. Ofc Troy likely wont draft them and we will grab another "what if" he could shoot type player or a center.

I’m not sure trade value is all that different.

Teams are actually concerned there aren’t even players worth the salary of those highest picks available.

It of course will depend on who drops.

[Snakebites]

The 25 draft is our chance out of this mess and it's to hard to land a top 3 pick

I’m never doing this again after last year.

Never building up one specific draft or pick as our way out of this mess.

The only way out is to be better. Even landing transcendent talent is only temporary if we’re run as badly as we’ve been.

[buzzkilloton]

I see a few posters saying "trade Cade for picks". If we trade Cade for a bunch of picks and pick swaps whats going to happen is the team he goes to is going to be all in on winning and turn into a good team. Imagine trading him to the Spurs(this has been mentioned multiple times in diff threads here) Wemby and Cade would turn into a powerhouse and we would be loaded up on crappy picks so gross. Regardless no GM is going to trade Cade at this point, maybe in a few years if things arent working out we move him for a bunch of stuff.

Only thing I'm down about about falling to 5 this year is the trade value on the pick. If we werent going to trade it I'd rather hold it and just draft Reed Sheppard or Dalton Knecht. Ofc Troy likely wont draft them and we will grab another "what if" he could shoot type player or a center.

I’m not sure trade value is all that different.

Teams are actually concerned there aren’t even players worth the salary of those highest picks available.

It of course will depend on who drops.

I was thinking maybe a team would fall in love with Sarr or something. Ofc I think Sarr is a pretty gross 1 pick so likely hard to fall in love enough to want to give up alot of stuff.

I do agree with how flat the draft is likely not a huge diff between 5 and 1 in trade value. Its a beauty in the eye of the beholder draft and all the beauty has big time warts this season.

[bstein14]

Houston looking to shop their pick. I don’t think we’re in a position where we should really want to trade for it but think that speaks to the weakness of the draft.

The Rockets made strides but still aren’t at a point where they couldn’t use more youth.

Early reports before we got #5 were that we'd likely be interested in moving our pick for established NBA talent because we desperately need to increase our win total and the more teams that are sellers in the top 6 or 7 picks of the draft the worse off we'll be for sure.

It feels like the market is likely to be so weak that keeping #5 will likely make the most sense we just really need whoever is making the pick to make the right pick with the pick.

[MotownMadness]

The 25 draft is our chance out of this mess and it's to hard to land a top 3 pick

I’m never doing this again after last year.

Never building up one specific draft or pick as our way out of this mess.

The only way out is to be better. Even landing transcendent talent is only temporary if we’re run as badly as we’ve been.

Oh I agree but I think we're going to be in the running next year even if its in the 5-8 area.

Thats a big improvement over what we just did and still keeps you with a chance.

[NYPiston]

Houston looking to shop their pick. I don’t think we’re in a position where we should really want to trade for it but think that speaks to the weakness of the draft.

The Rockets made strides but still aren’t at a point where they couldn’t use more youth.

The Rockets have too many young guys as is because of the multiple 1sts they've had in multiple drafts. It makes complete sense for them to shop it but I feel like there's going to be minimal trade activity because I can't imagine that these picks in this particular draft are going to be valued enough to be worth trading.

[Invictus88]

Houston looking to shop their pick. I don’t think we’re in a position where we should really want to trade for it but think that speaks to the weakness of the draft.

The Rockets made strides but still aren’t at a point where they couldn’t use more youth.

Out of all the things we could do trading up to grab a higher pick would be the absolute worst.

In before Detroit trades #5 and the 2025 1st to grab Sarr who flames out; with our 2025 pick finally winning the lottery and netting Atlanta Cooper Flagg. Book it.

Edit: All of this happens because neither Weaver nor Monty ends up being let go and they scramble knowing this year is the last one to save their jobs. It's all connected. It's destined to happen.

[zeebneeb]

Now is the time to pounce on Houston wanting to trade that pick. I don't care what anyone says about this draft. If you can get two top 5 picks, you do it.

Houston says they want Vets, well the Pistons can give them both Vets, and youth to nab it.

The Pistons landing the 5th pick destroyed calculations, so it's time to adjust.

You give Houston what they want barring Cade/Tek, and draft Clingan/Sheppard.

You add a 7'2 shot-blocking, low post monster, and the best shooter. The league is getting bigger again, adjust now.

Stewart is now considering a young Vet, going into his 5th year, and would fit their team perfectly. You can add Duren, and Ivey, but keep Ausar.

Your swapping young potential, for young potential. The sunk cost fallacy will kill the franchise. Your not trading ANY picks, as your gonna be picking next year as well, unless the two new guys start out hot, out of the gates.

[bstein14]

You can't say you want two top five picks in the rotation next year and then complain about how bad we are again. We have a ton of youth already we need to add guys in their prime or at least 23 - 27 age range. Last thing we need is a bunch more picks if we're ever going to get out of the cellar. No team is giving up a top 4 pick for Ivey either he's more likely to land you somewhere betwen #14 and #19 even in this draft.

[Moses ShamMoses]

Outside of Cade we don't have anyone that's worth the Houston pick right now. Guys like Stewart will net you the 25th pick but not 3. He's a quality backup center making starter money.

[bstein14]

I think at #5 its safe to say Sarr will be off the board, but as of right now everyone else could possibly be there no one else has really established themselves as a top 3 lock right now besides Sarr. I also don't think there's much difference between #3 and #5 in this draft, at least at this point it hasn't been shown.

[Mr Peanut]

Looked up the rookie scale salaries:

1st pick is 10.1M per year rising to 11.2M by year 3
5th pick is 6.7M per year rising to 7.3M by year 3

Not that I have faith in our FO using an extra few million correctly, but it could be relevant to have a little bit of extra cap space available.

Given the weakness of the draft the first few picks are likely going to be overpaid relative to their production whereas at least a salary of 6-7M for a bench rookie seems a bit more palatable.