Pistons 2024 NBA Draft Combine primer: Who and what to watch for in Chicago

While the Detroit Pistons’ hunt for a new president of basketball operations continues, there is still important work to be done for the organization in a week.

Both the NBA Draft Lottery and the 2024 combine will take place in Chicago starting Sunday, and Detroit could be the center of attention in the Windy City. For starters, the Pistons have the best odds of becoming No. 1 for the fourth year in a row.

Furthermore, the intrigue surrounding the team’s upcoming appointment as president will be too great to ignore. While whoever the owner hires to fill the role of president of basketball operations will have the freedom to clean house, team sources say The Athletics, that person is not yet in place and this is unlikely to change in the coming week. As I previously suggested, I believe an appointment will occur in mid to late May. General Manager Troy Weaver and his staff have continued operations as usual during this search, but did so with the understanding that no one’s future with the organization is guaranteed.

Until I am told otherwise, it is my understanding that Weaver and Co. will conduct interviews, etc., with potential customers.

Who are those prospects, you ask?

This draft class is being labeled as one of the worst in recent memory as many executives and scouts don’t believe there is any real star power at the top. Opinions vary. Some clubs I’ve spoken to don’t believe the players selected early will be worth their relatively high rookie salaries. Some clubs I’ve spoken to have suggested that a top-three pick in this draft will land a good player or retain good trade value. Some executives consider pick No. 1 in this class the same as pick No. 5 or No. 6 in a “normal” draft.

Perhaps more than any other class in recent history, the top pick of the 2024 NBA Draft is truly a “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” – and I’m not sure anyone sees anything other than a handful of ‘sevens ‘.

Regardless, the Pistons still need to do their homework in case they keep their top five pick and don’t trade it. So here are seven candidates I think will seriously factor into the top five (yes, even without knowing who the president of basketball operations will be). Oh, and Detroit also has the 53rd pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, so I’ll briefly mention a few names to watch for at the combine in that range.


Top-five prospects

If Detroit gets the No. 1 pick

Alexandre Sarr | 7-1 major | 19 years old | Perth wild cats

While Sarr isn’t the unanimous No. 1 pick at the moment, he does appear to be the favorite. I think he would definitely be the best pick for the Pistons if the ping pong balls are nice.

Sarr, in my opinion, has the biggest upside of any prospect in this class and has improved immensely this season playing abroad. Defensively, Sarr has a chance to be special. He defends well in space for his size. He flies across the field and can stay in front of small players. On the perimeter, Sarr is an intimidating presence because of his size. And if he’s not blocking shots, he’s probably disrupting them.

Offensively, there has been some nice, intriguing stuff from Sarr with the ball in his hands, both in transition and in the half-court. I also believe that at some point in his career he showed enough touch to be a legitimate shooting threat.

But ultimately, Detroit would select Sarr as who he could be on defense. This franchise is in dire need of elite rim protection in the frontcourt, and I’m not sure there’s a better candidate in this class who can check that box and potentially develop into more than just a lob threat on offense

If Detroit lands, it will be 2-3

Stephon Castle | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | Connecticut

For a roster that needs more defense on the wings and players with high IQs, Castle makes too much sense for Detroit in this range. Oh, and he’s already a winner.

Castle is a guard/wing hybrid who reminds me somewhat of Orlando Magic’s Anthony Black with his IQ, size, defensive versatility and tenacity. I see him more as a secondary ballhandler than a primary point guard at the NBA level, which is perfect for the Pistons, who have Cade Cunningham leading the offense. One of Detroit’s biggest problems is that it currently doesn’t have a wing-sized secondary playmaker with guard skills. Ausar Thompson will get there one day, but his grip isn’t tight enough yet to be a lead ballhandler for large portions of games. Castle would help fill that void for Detroit.

Castle’s shooting is a concern, and I’m not sure the Pistons can afford to add another young player into their rotation who isn’t a proven three-point shooter. If Detroit can restructure its roster via trade and free agency this summer, Castle’s offense will start to make more sense, and there could be more patience with him as a shooter.

This team needs to get a lot better defensively, and that can only happen by getting players who take pride in that. Castle isn’t a perfect fit, but I see him as a high-upside swing that can also have an immediate impact on the game.

Cody Williams | 6-8 wing | 19 years old | Colorado

This would be another upward movement for me.

Williams is a big wing with long arms who I think would be a high-end role player and could potentially become more if his creation improves. Right now, Williams can pressure the rim, pass and defend multiple positions. He can finish well with either hand and can also finish in a crowd due to his height and size. He’s an efficient scorer who doesn’t shoot many 3s, which raises some questions about how quickly his 3-ball will translate to the NBA despite good shooting mechanics.

Williams’ defensive versatility is intriguing, as is his potential to become a point forward in the NBA due to his fluid handling and passing. He’s not overly athletic, and that could cause problems early in his career, but the length and IQ that Williams possesses is enough to make me believe the Pistons would seriously consider him in this range.


(Photo of Williams: Robert Goddin/USA TODAY Sports)

Donovan Clingan | 7-2 center | 20 | Connecticut

Whoever becomes the new president will have to quickly determine whether Jalen Duren can not only make a turn as a rim protector next season, but also whether he is part of the future at all.

If both answers are no, Clingan should most certainly be considered with a top-five pick for Detroit. He’s probably the best interior defenseman in this draft right now, which was showcased during the Huskies’ dominant run to another national championship. Clingan should be a top-tier big man, assuming he stays healthy. He moves well for his size and is already more physical and bigger than most other top center players emerging in recent drafts.

Given the shortcomings in this class, I would be very happy with a defensive-minded center who is low maintenance offensively, but can pass and finish inside.

Matas Buzelis | 6-9 wing | 19 years old | G League inflammation

Buzelis is a weird one, as I would consider him a late lottery candidate in most classes. Since I don’t have a crush on anyone in this league and the Ignite season was a mess, I can talk myself into his favor as a top five pick.

He has great size and length for a wing, is athletic and doesn’t need the ball to make an impact. If he is going to play alongside Cunningham, it will be important to be effective in an off-ball role. Watching film, I like what I’ve seen from Buzelis defensively without the ball, but I do have questions about how he will keep the ball at the NBA level, especially early on.

I don’t like how streaky of a shooter Buzelis is when it comes to Detroit, given the roster issues I mentioned above. Buzelis also needs to get stronger. If he can do that sooner rather than later, I could see it helping with his self-creation issues.

If Detroit lands, pick No. 4 or No. 5

Dalton Knecht | 6-6 wing | 23 years old | Tennessee

Knecht will probably never come close to being an NBA All-Star. I also feel comfortable saying he will be in the league for a long time. He exudes a high-end role player and the Pistons don’t even have that much of that.

Knecht’s upside isn’t super high, as I don’t see him developing into a positive defender during his time in the NBA, but a bigger Tyler Herro or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope without the on-ball defense and better off on the ball. dribble creation? Sign me up… for this draft class.

Servant is a bucket; a three-level scorer who has a silky smooth jumper. He is an elite stationary shooter and shoots very well on the move. Around the rim, Knecht is a crafty finisher who uses his athleticism. I have no questions about the translation of Knecht’s score to the NBA. He is also a good and willing ball mover.

Reed Sheppard | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Kentucky

I tend to gravitate towards basketball players with a high IQ, and Sheppard meets those expectations.

He is one step ahead of most of the players he shares the floor with. He gets the ball moving and makes the right play more often than not. Sheppard is also an elite shooter. On the defensive side, Sheppard is very solid on the ball and is quite good off it too, although he does fall asleep at times.

Overall, Sheppard is intriguing, but someone I wouldn’t include in the top three due to his lack of physical tools. He’s small and lacks athleticism, which really makes him feel like he’s more than a rotation player. To counter that, I tend to bet on guys as smart as Sheppard breaking through their perceived ceilings as prospects.

Who to pay attention to at number 53

Outlook for the second round

If you’re a draft obsessive and seriously intrigued by the players on the fringes of this draft class, here are a few guys I’ve personally enjoyed scouting/observing who will be at the combine, but are being told expect them to be picked too late. They could potentially be options for Detroit at No. 53.

    • Coleman Hawkins, C/F, Illinois
    • Tyon Grant-Foster, W, Grand Canyon
    • KJ. Simpson, G, Colorado
    • Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara

(Top photo of Alexandre Sarr: Colin Murty/AFP via Getty Images)