Detroit Pistons: GM Troy Weaver won’t swing and miss at the NBA Draft

Are the Detroit Pistons bluffing, or are they seriously considering selecting someone other than Cade Cunningham?

Entering the 2021 NBA Draft, Cunningham is widely considered to be the consensus first overall selection.  There have been plenty of reports suggesting that the Houston Rockets are nearly willing to mortgage everything in an attempt to move up one spot to select Cunningham first overall, leaving either Evan Mobley or Jalen Green available for the Detroit Pistons at no. 2 overall.

There are also rumors stating that the Pistons recently turned down a ‘legitimate’ offer from the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had been trying to acquire the first overall pick.  OKC currently owns the no. 6 overall pick in the draft.

Shortly after the Detroit Pistons won the NBA’s Draft Lottery, like many fans, I was ecstatic.  Winning the right to draft a player of Cunningham’s caliber quickly changes the landscape of the organization’s rebuild.  Not only that, but the Pistons will be able to use Cunningham in a variety of ways, and he compliments the rest of the roster perfectly.

I’ll be dumbfounded if the Detroit Pistons elect not to pick Cade Cunningham with the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Recently Cunningham told the Detroit Free Press that he’s gearing up to join the Pistons;

"“I’ve already been listening to Detroit music and things like that, way before the draft lottery, any of that stuff. I was already hip to the culture in Detroit. It’s a city that has a lot of things going on, and I feel like getting the sports team rolling again would be huge for the city.“Detroit fits me, that’s the main thing I’m going to try to do is step in and embody the swag that people from Detroit walk with, the people from Michigan in general. They have an underdog, go-get-what-you-want feel to them and I like that about the city.“If I am able to go in there and be the No. 1 pick, I’m going to try to carry that same swag, in how I walk on the court and make the most out of it and wear the red, white and blue for sure.”"

Cunningham is a 6-foot-8 point guard who can take matters into his own hands and dominate the ball and create his own shot.  It will be nice to have a guard that can step back and drain a three when it’s needed most.

Grant did it often for Detroit last year at the forward position but having a dynamic guard that works his tail off on the defensive end seems like a no-brainer.  His overall length and size allow him to guard just about any position, and he will also excel as a catch and shoot player similar to Khris Middleton.

That type of versatility is admirable and will compliment Killian Hayes in Detroit’s backcourt, plus create additional floor space for Jerami Grant and Saddiq Bey.

Cunningham averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 boards, and 3.5 assists last season with the Cowboys.  He also shot a stellar 40% from beyond the arc plus converted on 43.8% of his field-goal attempts.