Pistons, NBA draft Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Pistons are the belle of the ball in the NBA draft, having won the first overall pick in last month’s draft lottery. They’re likely to select Cade Cunningham with that pick, but they may still find themselves in the market for more draft capital before the first round of the draft is over.
Fortunately for them, there are a handful of teams who may want to strike up a deal, and who have the picks that might be just what the Pistons are looking for. Let’s take a look at three teams in particular, starting in the Big Apple.
Potential NBA draft night trade partners for the Pistons: 3. New York Knicks
The Pistons and New York Knicks did some business this past season when Derrick Rose was sent to join his former Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr.’s expiring contract and the Charlotte Hornets’ second-round pick. Rose sparked a furious mid-season run and along with Julius Randle helped get the Knicks all the way up to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
This time around, the Knicks are in possession of the 19th and 21st picks. That same 19th pick is where the Pistons selected Saddiq Bey in last year’s NBA draft, just a couple of spots after the 16th pick where they drafted Isaiah Stewart.
The late teens or early 20s might be a sweet spot for general manager Troy Weaver, so this could be a prime region of the draft for the Pistons to trade into if the Knicks are interested in getting that Hornets pick back along with, say, Josh Jackson.
