Thursday evening, Pistons fans will have their eyes glued to the TV as the NBA holds its Draft Lottery.
The Pistons have a 10.5% chance of landing the first pick -- the fifth best odds in the field.
Are there any sure picks at first overall, though? Mock drafts have Georgia guard Anthony Edwards as the favorite to go No. 1. If this Pistons indeed win the lottery, maybe this is the year to consider a trade.
Here's a suggested deal from
Bleacher Report, which did a mock trade for every team with a chance of winning the first overall pick: 2020 No. 1 overall pick and Blake Griffin to the Knicks for 2020 first-round pick, G Frank Ntilikina, PF Julius Randle and G Elfrid Payton.
With Detroit trying to rebuild its roster and the Knicks looking for star power, both teams would get what they desire with a pick-and-player swap here.
Griffin's remaining two-year, $75.6 million deal no longer fits a young Detroit team, especially if his injuries continue to pile up. A healthy Griffin would give the Knicks an All-Star-caliber power forward, and his contract is worth taking on if New York could also move up to the No. 1 spot.
The Pistons need a point guard, and moving down slightly in the draft should still net them either Killian Hayes, Tyrese Haliburton, Cole Anthony or even LaMelo Ball if he goes on a mini-slide. Getting off Griffin's contract would be a huge win, and Randle, Ntilikina and Payton are all between 22 and 26 years old, offering some upside for a rebuild.
If you were the Pistons, would you make that trade? It's safe to say the Knicks probably wouldn't.
