The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft is owned by the Detroit Pistons, and it is widely believed that they will utilize that selection to draft Cade Cunningham, though Evan Mobley and Jalen Green have both been mentioned as alternatives for the pick. While most teams don’t consider trading the No. 1 pick in a really good draft class, it is good for a team to look at all the options before deciding what to do with the pick.
A recent trade scenario features the Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons making a deal for the No. 1 pick. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic has recently published an article that featured trade scenarios for the No. 1 pick, and one of the potential suitors was the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State Warriors Receive: No. 1 overall pick
Detroit Pistons Receive: James Wiseman, No. 7 overall pick and No. 14 overall pick
The deal is centered around James Wiseman, who was the No. 2 overall picks last season. It is clear that he has potential and skill, despite having close to no college experience when entering the NBA. It seems as though the reasoning behind this deal is the potential of a ready-made prospect like Cade Cunningham joining the Warriors while giving the Detroit Pistons more potential prospects to develop. It is mentioned, however, that this deal working out would be contingent on how the Detroit Pistons view James Wiseman.
This isn’t a terrible offer, especially because the Pistons, per sources, would have strongly considered Wiseman with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft had they landed it. However, the 2021 NBA Draft is more top-heavy than last year’s class, and Wiseman’s rookie season wasn’t met with great applause.
I do think Detroit thinks about this deal, but I can’t see them doing it. The upside of the top three players in this class (Cunningham, Green and Evan Mobley), I believe, exceed that of Wiseman. Additionally, picks Nos. 7 and 14 just don’t move the needle enough.
Warriors beat writer Anthony Slater: “This would be the Warriors consolidating their three lottery picks from the past two years to jump up and get a smart, ready-made wing, Cade Cunningham, who most of us believe could help them win now with Steph Curry and then take the keys to the franchise once Curry ages out. That’s worth it. The value of the package they’d send away is dependent on what Detroit thinks of Wiseman and the mid-to-late-lottery guys available in this draft.”
It remains to be seen whether this deal would come to fruition, but overall, it seems as though the Warriors would present a solid offer for the No. 1 overall pick. Many believe that the Warriors should move to maximize Stephen Curry’s prime while looking towards the future: this potential deal would do just that.
