Detroit Pistons Draft Picks 2024: Predictions, Rumors & More

Key Takeaways:

🏀The Detroit Pistons pick fifth overall after the NBA Draft Lottery, which was held May 12.

⭐The Pistons drafted fifth overall in last year's NBA Draft, and still have a copious amount of needs to round out their roster.

Who will Detroit Pistons coach Monty Williams select in 2024 NBA Draft?

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NBA Draft expert Dan Thompson contributed to this page.

After another down season, the Detroit Pistons finished dead last in the NBA for the fourth time in franchise history.

That finish guaranteed the Pistons a top-five selection for the NBA Draft Lottery with a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The lottery did not go Detroit's way, however, and the Pistons wound up with the fifth overall pick. The Atlanta Hawks won the lottery for the No. 1 overall pick, followed by the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.

Take a look at the picks Detroit has entering the 2024 NBA Draft in the table below:

Round	Pick Number
1	No. 5
2	No. 53 (from Knicks via 76ers and Hornets)

Detroit has two draft picks to build around, with one at No. 5 overall and another at No. 53 in the second round that came from a trade with the New York Knicks. That should help the new regime - following the ouster of coach Monty Williams - build onto the team’s youthful roster.

The Pistons posted their worst year-end win percentage in 76 seasons of basketball in 2023-24 (.171) and have a host of needs across their youthful roster in 2024.

Luckily for Detroit, the Pistons have a host of young players with potential. That includes former top pick Cade Cunningham, who led the team in scoring last year at 22.7 PPG, while other first round picks like Jaden Ivey (15.4 PPG) and Jalen Duren (13.8 PPG) have bright futures as well.

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Latest Detroit Pistons Mock Draft Odds

Player	Odds	Percent Chance
G League Ignite F Matas Buzelis	+200	33.3%
Colorado F Cody Williams	+400	20.0%
UConn G Stephon Castle	+700	12.5%
Tennessee F Dalton Knecht	+700	12.5%
Kentucky G Reed Sheppard	+1000	9.1%
G League Ignite F Ron Holland	+1250	7.4%
The Field	+1750	5.4%

Odds last updated June 24

Sadly, for Detroit, the 2024 NBA Draft is considered by many to be one that’s light on franchise-altering talent, with no prospects that can shape a team like Victor Wembanyama did for the San Antonio Spurs this year.

Still, don’t be surprised if Detroit lands a frontcourt talent like G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis, who is our current odds-on favorite at +200, or Colorado forward Cody Williams, who comes in at +400.

Throw in UConn guard Stephon Castle and Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht (+700 each), Reed Sheppard of Kentucky (+1000) and G League Ignite forward Ron Holland (+1250) and you have the full list of possible picks for the Pistons in 2024.

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Pistons Biggest Draft Needs This Year

Detroit has not made the NBA playoffs since the 2018-19 season and is entering its final season with Cade Cunningham on his rookie contract.

It might be easier to pick the positions where Detroit doesn’t need help, though it’s safe to assume that the Pistons have a glaring need in the team’s frontcourt. Most of the team’s young talents play guard. That’s why we believe Detroit will likely look to add a small or power forward to go with a center in the 2024 edition of the draft.

The Pistons need to win quickly to entice Cunningham to stay and build around a solid cornerstone. They could seek a dominant big man under the glass, who plays good defense to round out a solid core defensively with Thompson, Cunningham and center Jalen Duren. Or they could trade their draft picks for increased draft pick capital as a bevy of needs exist.

Overall, this franchise has a long list of needs and without a player of Wembanyama's skillset in this draft, there's no single prospect undoubtedly ready to reshape the roster and perhaps make the Pistons a better wager at Michigan sportsbook apps.

Pistons Positional Draft Needs:

Small Forward
Center
Power Forward

Cunningham led the team at 22.7 points per game in the 2023-24 season. Having a small forward to plug in alongside guards like Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, who scored 15.4 PPG in his second NBA season, would go a long way toward getting the Pistons back towards respectability in the East. Some rim protectors in the frontcourt also wouldn’t hurt.

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Looking Back at Previous Pistons Draft Picks

In preparation for this year's draft, look back at who the Pistons selected in previous drafts and how they've fared in the sections below.

Pistons 2023 Draft Picks

Here's a look back at who the franchise selected in last year's NBA Draft.

Forward Ausar Thompson

DRAFT POSITION: Round 1, Pick 5

TEAM: City Reapers of the OVERTIME ELITE (OTE)

Ausar Thompson played 63 games for Detroit this season before a battle with blood clots ended his season a bit early. He averaged just under 9 points per game at 6.4 rebounds per game. Thompson had a solid season for the Pistons, who were hopeful for the No. 1 pick entering the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, but now they will focus on his health and return to the court for next season.

Guard Marcus Sasser

DRAFT POSITION: Round 1, Pick 25

TEAM: Houston (NCAA)

After being drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies, Marcus Sasser was immediately traded to the Detroit Pistons during the 2023 NBA Draft. Sasser played in 71 games, starting in 11, for the Pistons this season. He averaged 8.3 points per game off the bench. He is considered undersized for the NBA as a combo guard, and his statistics were not gaudy enough for a first-round draft pick. Still, the Pistons will hope for a major step up next season.

Pistons 2022 NBA Draft Picks

In 2022, Detroit took a guard with a robust family background in basketball and the city of Detroit.

Guard Jaden Ivey

DRAFT POSITION: Round 1, Pick 5

TEAM: Purdue (NCAA)

The former Purdue Boilermakers star, Jaden Ivey, was a consensus second-team All-American during his second year in college. In two years with the Pistons, Ivey has found fits and spurts of success. He was sixth in the NBA’s Rookie of the Year balloting in 2023 after scoring 16.3 points per game on 41.6% shooting. That scoring production fell to 15.4 PPG (on 42.9% shooting) during his second season in the league. Through 151 games, Ivey has posted a career total of 0.4 win shares and a 12.3 PER.

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Stay tuned to this page throughout NBA Draft season as we update it with the latest odds, rumors, and predictions on the Pistons 2024 draft picks.

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Author

Christopher Boan

@cgboan

Christopher Boan is a staff writer for BetMichigan.com. He has covered sports and sports betting for more than seven years and has worked for publications such as ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.