This draft seems all over the place. I've seen Pistons may trade up to 4 for Ivey, seen Ivey fall to 9, Pistons getting 7 for Grant heating back up again too Grant for 7 and then Murray and Mathurin would be nice
I would rather have Ivey. Mathurin seems like the type of player you can easily get in free agency. One of his player comps is Caldwell Pope who was a flop here
I started watching the draft prospect videos MG2 linked in the draft thread (thank you for that). Watched the Ivey one. Big mistake. I'll now be pretty upset if we don't end up with him.
Just watch the first half of all the vids before they get to the weaknesses on possible top 10 picks and you'll want all of them. Problem solved.
That's where I'm at. If we can get Ivey or Murray at 5 and somehow Sharpe drops to 7 and we get that pick, that's the perfect storm scenario. Get a guy who can help us now and a guy with probably the highest upside in the draft.
God damnit. The 5th spot was the worst fucking place we could have landed as far as uncertainty goes.
That last bit is just included because I think PJ Washington is an interesting name to possibly target if he's available.
Giovanny has us taking Mathurin at 5 Mathurin drew strong reviews on the private workout trail, excelling in competitive action, individual drills and interview sessions everywhere he visited and boosting his stock into the mid-lottery in the process. Detroit's front office and coaching staff is said to be especially interested in the All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year's intriguing combination of current productivity and future upside at just 19 years old, as well as his potential fit with Cade Cunningham thanks to his ability to shoot coming off screens and his prowess operating in the open court. NBA teams say they will also be monitoring the Pistons' plans for Jerami Grant, who is entering the final year of his contract and may be on the move as early as draft night.
Mathurin seems fine to me. I’m not going to overthink this one. If we get one of he, Ivey or Murray, that seems fine.
I like Mathurin a lot and would be completely fine with taking him over Murray/Sharpe/Daniels. I think they're all different types of players in one tier and at that point you pick your favorite flavor next to Cade. I would not take Mathurin over Ivey. That would be at least slightly annoying before I talked myself into it within a week.
There are reports (dumb ones, but they're out there) that OKC doesn't want to get any better with their pick this year in hopes of tanking for the French guy next year. There have also been reports that Presti might like Ivey or Sharpe as much as the bigs available at 2. OKC owns our protected pick through 2027. It's protected top 18 the next two years (23 and 24), top 13 in 25, top 11 in 26, and top 9 in 27. It's not terribly valuable to OKC, but is damaging to us because we can't trade a future 1 until that pick conveys, essentially. All that out of the way... If OKC called and said we'll trade #2 for #5 + making that future 1st unprotected in 2023, would you do it for any of the top 3 (or Ivey)? I think I'd do that for Banchero and Smith. I don't think I'd do that for Chet or Ivey.
I don’t think so. It’ll cost us any chance we have of winning the lottery for the French guy and I don’t think the top of this draft is worth it. we aren’t going to be a playoff team next year
I'm fine with Murray, Mathurin, Ivey and Sharpe at 5. I like the idea of Ivey better, but I think Mathurin will be a very good player and fits our situation.
I subscribed to Marc Stein’s Substack since he seems to post a lot. The biggest takeaways from the last few days is he suggest we offered that Grant to Atlanta package posted a week or so ago, and that Mitchell Robinson re-signing with the Knicks appears much more likely now than ever before.
Stein Spoiler To follow up on a recent item of mine about Atlanta potentially dealing for Detroit's Jerami Grant: It was subsequently suggested to me that I had it skewed regarding which team was most interested in a Grant-to-Atlanta trade scenario. It was stressed to me, post-publication, that Detroit had the primary interest in a Grant-headlined deal designed to bring Bogdan Bogdanović and the Hawks' No. 16 overall pick to Motown. Atlanta was apparently cool to the idea. It has since emerged that Bogdanović will not play for Serbia in September's EuroBasket tournament after undergoing a surgical procedure on his right knee, but there is no clarity yet on how the injury impacts his immediate tradability.
This was Stein from a few days ago Spoiler Amid great anticipation regarding Detroit's intentions with Jerami Grant (will he finally be traded?) and whether the Pistons will indeed pursue marquee free agents like Ayton or Dallas' Jalen Brunson, league sources say that the Pistons have very strong interest in re-signing the recently acquired Marvin Bagley III. The former Sacramento King made a positive impression in his half-season in Motown. Sources say Detroit has also been weighing the free-agent pursuit of Dennis Schröder as a more cost-effective option for the Pistons’ backcourt. Detroit, furthermore, has been frequently linked to Knicks free agent big man Mitchell Robinson, who remains eligible for an extension with New York through June 30. But here’s what he said about Robinson today: Spoiler The Knicks are widely regarded as a team looking to shed a number of contracts (such as those possessed by Alec Burks, Kemba Walker and Nerlens Noel) to create salary-cap space for the potential free-agent pursuits of Dallas' Jalen Brunson and perhaps even (gasp) Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving. Yet Monday night also delivered the strongest rumbles I’ve heard to date that a new multiyear deal to keep Mitchell Robinson in New York is looming.
A year better and healthier Cade, plus whoever we bring in from FA, I don't see any way we are down with the tankers next year regardless who we draft
In a perfect world we get Murray and Mathurin at 5 and 7 and still probably suck bad enough to make the lottery next year, and we win that lottery. C'mon, Trailblazers! If we can't get 7 for Grant, take Ivey at 5, trade Grant for a future pick, and suck badly enough to make the lottery next year, and win that lottery These are foolproof plans, guys.
I dont understand how anyone with this current roster, cap space and budding star in Cade can think going absolute tank mode again next year is the best option. Waste a year of development with our young core, waste cap space when we may be able to add a quality player in FA, to realistically pray that we jump from probably around 7th all the way to #1.
yeah no guarantees. Need to try and win next year. East isn’t really that good outside of Boston, Toronto, Milwaukee, and Miami. We can easily get up to that level with right couple of moves.
I don’t think we’re going to tank but I also do not think this team is good enough to make the playoffs (or will be next season). Weaver took over a team with few assets and many bad contracts
Not saying this team is a playoff team, but this is the offseason to improve your roster. Something can be gained from the young guys competing every night even if we don't make playoffs. This roster is also not bad enough to me to finish bottom 3 or even 5 again. I think competing and finishing 10-14th in lottery odds is a better result than full on tanking and getting 7th odds
We shouldn’t tank. But also star players are taken throughout the draft. I don’t think the top 3 this year would be close to the top 3 last year and I don’t see any point in trading up for any of them
I think you're confusing two points (or I am), I just think it's stupid to plan next year around tanking. That's different than me being ok giving up an unprotected 1 next year to move up this year. If they thought there was a big difference between a guy at 3 or 4 and who'd be there at 5 and they already know they are bringing in a guy like Ayton, then I think I could sell myself on it. But I dont hate competing next year and keeping that pick
Honestly, I think free agency will tell us what this team will do with next season. If we miss on Ayton, and bring in no one of substance besides our draft pick, and trade Grant, does anyone think this is anywhere near a playoff team?
No, but again I also don't think this team is bottom 3-5 either. Look how they played down the stretch when Cade got healthy before they went full tank. If we end up bottom 3 again next year it probably is a lot more problematic because it means our young players didn't progress. Also doubt the teams offseason goes that way