The Detroit Pistons’ trip to the NBA Playoffs cost them their first-round pick in the upcoming draft, sending No. 17 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But the Pistons will still have the chance to be involved in the draft, currently holding the seventh pick in the second round — 37th overall — via the Toronto Raptors.
While it’s unlikely the Pistons are going to find a superstar at No. 37, plenty of solid roleplayers in the NBA have been selected there.
Richaun Holmes, Gary Trent Jr. and Jaden Hardy have all found solid roles in the league recently from the place and the Pistons house last year’s No. 37 in Bobi Klintman.
With such a late pick, there’s not much of a consensus about who the Pistons might key in on after the NBA Combine.
Among projections from eight different mock drafts the Pistons could select second-team All-American Kam Jones out of Marquette or Michigan big man Danny Wolf.
While the Pistons may go younger, Jones and Wolf offer a bit more experience and could get involved sooner than some of the one-and-done projects in the field.
Jones was a three-year full-time starter at guard for Marquette averaging 19.2 points and 5.9 assists in his senior year.
While Jones isn’t an elite athlete and struggles at the free-throw line (67.1% for his career), he’s undoubtedly a strong playmaker both as a shot creator and taker from his time at Marquette.
Wolf started just two seasons, one with Yale before transferring to Michigan as a junior. His shooting improved 2.5% — up to 49.7% from the field — and his numbers in the Big Ten were just about as strong as in the Ivy League.
Although Wolf has been mocked in the first round by many analysts, if he falls to the Pistons, it could mark the first time since Isaiah Livers in 2021 Detroit selected a Michigan player in the draft.
If the Pistons were to go younger, one-and-done guards like Tahaad Pettiford out of Auburn and Labaron Philon would fit the bill, according to some analysts.
There are still questions about whether Pettiford will stay in the NBA Draft, but he and Philon showed an incredible amount of promise as freshmen.
Pettiford averaged 11.6 points and three assists with the Tigers en route to the Final Four and Philon put up 10.6 points and 3.8 assists per game for the Crimson Tide.
Here’s a look at a roundup of mock drafts for who the Pistons might take at No. 37.
Kam Jones, G, Marquette, senior
Danny Wolf, C, Michigan, junior
Tahaad Pettiford, G, Auburn, freshman
Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke, sophomore
Labaron Philon, G, Alabama, freshman
What they’re saying: “Adding another creator next to Cade Cunningham would make sense, especially someone like Philon, who is a shifty point guard with a buttery floater, advanced pick-and-roll playmaking, and a deceptive handle that lets him control the tempo. His feathery touch teases untapped shooting potential, but he’s got to prove it to become an offensive maestro. Next to Cade, there’d be less pressure on being the man and he could instead thrive as a supporter.”
Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee, senior
Alex Condon, C, Florida, sophomore
Alex Toohey, SF, Australia (Sydney Kings), 21
What they’re saying: “Alex Toohey finished the season doubling his three-point makes from last year. And the shooting improvement showed at the NBA combine. At 6′9″, his range, off-ball finishing and wing mobility should make him one of the top options after the first round finishes."