Pistons GM Troy Weaver hasn't shown his cards as the team prepares to pick first overall in Thursday night's draft. Why would he start now?
Judging by his pre-draft press conference Tuesday, everything remains on the table for Detroit.
Weaver said he has yet to make up his mind at the top of the board. He said every prospect fits the Pistons' roster. He said the trade rumors are "all bunk," but he didn't say a trade was out of the question. He said "everyone has made the pick but us."
The pick, right now, still feels like Cade Cunningham. He's the consensus No. 1 player in the draft and he wants to play for Detroit. He could elevate the Pistons' rebuild -- the 'restoration,' as Weaver prefers -- as the face of the franchise for years to come. But Weaver's face is made for poker.
"I stated from the start that there were guys in the draft that I thought were all worthy of the No. 1 pick, and that’s remained true," Weaver said. "So we’ll continue to do our work and be ready to go on Thursday."
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Per reports, the Pistons have narrowed their decision to Cunningham and Jalen Green, with USC center Evan Mobley still on their radar. Green is apparently making a late push after a 'stellar workout' for the Pistons last week, though Weaver noted Tuesday, "We’re not drafting a player off a workout."
Cunningham and Green are natural fits for a Pistons' roster that features a pair of All-Rookies in forward Saddiq Bey and center Isaiah Stewart and a Most Improved Player of the Year finalist in forward Jerami Grant. Thing is, so is every other prospect at the top of the board.
"They all fit, said Weaver. "I mean, we won 20 games. All of the guys fit. We like them all. Sometimes you can look at fit, but we’re not in that position as of yet."
The Thunder and the Rockets have been the most active teams in trying to pry the top pick from Weaver's hands. The Pistons were rumored to have turned down an offer from OKC -- where Weaver was assistant GM before coming to Detroit -- of the No. 6 pick and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Maybe the offer wasn't enough.
Maybe it was never made.
"Don’t believe everything you read," Weaver said. "We’ll continue to turn over every stone and talk to teams, but the rumor mill does nothing for us right now."
Whoever the Pistons pick, wherever they pick him, the team needs a star. Every draft has a few. Weaver's in the driver's seat in the Motor City, where the Pistons are on the road back to relevance. He's already assembled a promising young core. His next move is to add a centerpiece, and this feels like his best chance to do it.
Perhaps that means taking Cunningham No. 1. Perhaps it means trading down and taking Green. Or maybe it means something else entirely, a card hidden in Weaver's hand. The Pistons are about to cash in one of the best assets in franchise history, and the future is all that matters.
"We're going to make our selection based on restoring the Pistons and having longevity here and making sure this player is a go-forward player, whether they’re contributing in Game 1 or halfway through the season or even the following season," Weaver said. "This is a long-term play. It’s not a get-it-right-in-the-moment play.
"Sustained success is what we’re looking for."