NBA: 5 wild draft-day trade ideas that would change the league’s landscape
By Kyle McKee
The OKC Thunder throw the kitchen sink at the Pistons to get their guy
Oklahoma City Thunder receives: 1st pick
Detroit Pistons receives: 6th pick, 16th pick, 18th pick, and 2024 first-round pick via the Houston Rockets
If the Oklahoma City Thunder are completely sold on either Cade Cunningham or Jalen Green, the top two consensus players in the draft, becoming superstars one day, then why wouldn’t they just throw everything possible at the Pistons to get the No. 1 pick? I mean for goodness sakes, the Thunder have 19 first-round picks from now till 2027!
Again, if the Thunder are sold on either Cunningham or Green becoming a superstar, then, with their impeccable track record of developing players, like the Raptors, they would have their backcourt of the future with whoever they would select and Shai Gilagious-Alexander.
What’s the point in having all those picks if you’re not going to use them to get the guy you want, right? Even if that means overpaying.
This trade only happens, though, if the Pistons aren’t sold on Cunningham or Green which probably won’t happen because all signs are pointing towards the Pistons taking Cunningham.
Fun fact: The last time Detroit selected first was way back in 1970 when they drafted the late great Bob Lanier, according to Basketball-Reference.
If the Thunder keeps adding more and more picks to this potential deal, why wouldn’t the Pistons eventually still say yes? Again, if the Thunder are sold on either Cunningham or Green then why wouldn’t they trade whatever it takes to get one of them, even if it takes four, five, or even six picks?