When it comes to the top of the draft board, the common thought around the league is that the Detroit Pistons will select Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 overall pick.
However, that thinking could be changing based on some recent speculation.
In addition to Cunningham, the Pistons are also said to be very high on Jalen Green with the top pick. Of course, Green is highly touted for his scoring ability and many believe he could eventually develop into a superstar in the NBA.
As a result of his potential, the Pistons are thought to be fans of Green, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. Pistons general manager Troy Weaver often looks to think outside of the box and may not necessarily be set on taking Cunningham.
While Cunningham is by far the most likely pick here, I don’t think we should necessarily write this in stone yet. The one thing that every person in basketball says about Troy Weaver is that he absolutely does not subscribe to group think. He said in a post-lottery presser that they’ll look at five guys and then make the best decision. It’s worth taking him at his word. After the lottery, I got texts from multiple sources that said the Pistons are also thought to be fans of Jalen Green.
The Pistons’ apparent interest in Green could just be a smokescreen in order to create some confusion ahead of the draft. However, Weaver said following the lottery that they will consider all of their options with the No. 1 overall pick and be thorough during the process.
“We’ll continue to have an aggressive mindset,” Weaver said last week. “We’ll have an aggressive mindset in this restoration process, for sure. We won 20 games last year. We have to look at everything, be aggressive. We have to have the mindset to improve this team by all means necessary.”
Whether or not the Pistons seriously consider passing on Cunningham, it seems clear that the organization will do their homework on every player projected to be taken near the top of the draft. In the end, though, it still wouldn’t be a shock to see Cunningham in Detroit.
The NBA draft is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 29.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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