NBA Rumors: Are the Pistons seriously talking themselves out of drafting Cade Cunningham?
By Josh Hill
It sure sounds like the Detroit Pistons are talking themselves out of drafting Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 pick.
As the NBA Draft approaches, the biggest question is one that should have an obvious answer.
What will the Detroit Pistons do with the No. 1 pick?
When the Pistons hit the jackpot and won the top pick during last month’s lottery, all signs pointed toward Cade Cunningham. The Oklahoma State stud was the best college player in the country last season and seemed etched into the top slot for whoever was lucky enough to win the lottery.
Less than 72 hours before the Pistons officially go on the clock, though, it sounds like minds have not been made up. Detroit has continued to push propaganda that it’s not sold on Cunningham with the top pick and are both trade offers and openly fielding and seriously considering other prospects like Evan Mobley and Jalen Green.
Are the Pistons really going to pass on Cade Cunningham at No. 1?
Marc Stein detailed more of the Pistons’ thought process in his newsletter this week. In short, the Pistons are either masterfully executing a smokescreen when they really don’t need to, or they’re seriously talking themselves out of Cade Cunningham at No. 1 overall.
"One league source insists that one of the factors keeping the Pistons from committing fully to the selection of Cunningham is Jalen Green’s recent stellar workout that apparently made the strongest of impressions."
That’s about as close as you get to saying you’re seriously considering someone else without actually saying it. When you have other prospects in mind, a whole new ballgame has started.
Stein also points out that rival executives are wondering whether Detroit is essentially full of crap or if they’re legitimately thinking about not taking the consensus No. 1 overall pick in that exact draft slot.
Of course, the Pistons wouldn’t be the first team in the history of professional sports to set up a smokescreen. This could all end with Nick Henkel shouting into his microphone about how the Pistons dominated the mental game of the draft and are already a step ahead of the league with its newest best young player.
This could also end with the Pistons talking so much about not drafting Cade that they reverse psychology themselves into either trading down or taking someone else.