After two consecutive losing seasons, the Detroit Pistons returned to the playoffs in 2019 behind new head coach Dwane Casey and a superstar performance from Blake Griffin.
But the Pistons are fairly handicapped by the salaries of Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson. And their current roster does not look much more promising than their 41-41 finish this year, meaning that Detroit seems to be in a fairly similar situation to the Miami Heat: a fringe playoff team with limited payroll flexibility.
Detroit could look to possibly move up in the draft, but it may not be worth it to trade up simply to get into the top 10 in such a top-heavy draft, especially for a team trying to build off of a playoff appearance.
And at the no. 15, it is somewhat unclear as to whether or not the Pistons could be enticed into trading back given that the pick is in the very middle of the draft.
With those ideas in mind, here are three ideal draft choices that Detroit could make with the 15th selection:
1. Rui Hachimura
Hachimura and teammate Brandon Clarke have been all over the place in terms of their projected landing spots, but the Gonzaga standout would fit in well with Detroit while providing some much-needed depth in the frontcourt.
Outside of Griffin and Drummond, the Pistons do not have many reliable options at power forward and center. Jon Leuer and Thon Maker are hardly reliable options, and neither of them have proven to be very capable defenders either.
Hachimura averaged over 19 points and 6 boards with a steal and close to a block as well. According to Sports-Reference, he registered a defensive rating of 91.6 per 100 possessions, and his agility at the forward position is evident.
The questions is whether or not Hachimura could succeed as an undersized four. He is just 6'8″ and 230 pounds, but he did most of his scoring and defensive work in the paint in college, and his game would figure to translate overt to the next level.
Detroit would likely be somewhat lucky for Hachimura to fall to them at no. 15, but they desperately need help in the frontcourt and Hachimura could fill that void nicely.
2. Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Alexander-Walker was superb in his sophomore campaign at Virginia Tech, averaging over 16 points, four rebounds and four assists while shooting over 37 percent from beyond the arc.
As a combo guard, Alexander-Walker could be the perfect fit in Detroit for multiple reasons. For one, current Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson is on an expiring contract, and drafting Alexander-Walker would allow the Pistons to explore trade opportunities especially by the time February rolls around.
Secondly, Detroit's shooting guards have struggled, and Alexander-Walker's shooting and court vision lend themselves well alongside Jackson should they pair together in the backcourt.
Luke Kennard is really just a shooter and would better serve the Pistons coming off the bench, whereas Alexander-Walker's versatile skill set might serve to benefit Blake Griffin that much more, especially in pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop.
3. Kevin Porter Jr.
Porter Jr. was pegged as a top ten talent, but he was suspended for conduct issues at USC and has subsequently faced questions about his character and maturity.
Still, he might be one of the purest scorers in the draft, and has proven to be very capable off the dribble and shooting from deep. Porter Jr. shot over 40 percent from beyond the arc and his per-40 line of 17 and 7 is certainly enticing.
Aside from Jackson and Griffin, the Pistons have almost no shot creators or ball-handlers. Porter Jr. has drawn comparisons to James Harden for his ability to create separation (as well as the obvious similarity of being a left-handed shooter), but his shooting percentages indicate that he is just as lethal in catch-and-shoot as he might be off the bounce.
Whether or not he would fit well as a third scoring option is another question. Whereas Alexander-Walker is appealing because of his ability to distribute the basketball in addition to getting his share of buckets, Porter Jr.'s upside is primarily based on his scoring.
That said, he is extremely talented, and given that they are picking in the middle of the draft the Pistons may as well sell high on upside if they have that chance.
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