The Detroit Pistons were the big winners of the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery. After finishing the season with a record of 20-52, the second-worst in the league, they leapfrogged the Houston Rockets and landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Many people believe that the Pistons will now use that pick on Oklahoma State guard, Cade Cunningham.
Cunningham has long been the No. 1 prospect in this class and his freshman season with the Hokies did nothing to change people’s minds.
The 6’8” Cunningham averaged 20.1 points on 43.8 percent from the field, 40 percent from the 3-point line and 84.6 percent from the foul line. He added 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks in 35.4 minutes per game. He was a consensus All-American, Big 12 Rookie and Player of the Year and made the Big 12 Rookie, All-Tournament and All-Big 12 teams.
It is understandable why many consider him the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft class, but according to the subscription-based The Athletic, Cade Cunningham is not a lock to hear his name called first.
“While Cunningham has been the consensus No. 1 pick, it’s not a lock he’ll be the top choice. Sources tell The Athletic that Green and Mobley, too, will be in heavy consideration for the No. 1 pick. Green is a 19-year-old bucket-getter who had tremendous flashes playing in the G League this past season. Mobley is the “unicorn,” a 7-foot center with ball skills and an elite defensive skill set.”
[General manager Troy] Weaver has over a month to figure out which direction he wants to go, and it’s apparent that he’s in no rush to make a decision.
“There’s a lot of talented guys at the top,” said Weaver, who believes there should be five players considered for the top pick. “This is a draft that has a lot of talented guys. We’ll vet them all out and be ready to go.”
While the Pistons do have some time to decide who they want to select, this could be some good old posturing by the Pistons general manager. It would be hard to imagine them passing up on Cade Cunningham, as he would be a great fit for their roster.
He would join Killian Hayes, the No. 7 selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, in the backcourt, giving the Pistons four first-round picks in two years to build around. Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart were also selected in the first round of 2020.
With Jerami Grant breaking out in his first season with the Pistons, Detroit would have a strong core to build their future around. Cade Cunningham could still be the pick for Detroit, but it’s not a guarantee.
