10. Detroit Pistons - Liam McNeeley, F, UCONN
The Detroit Pistons are certainly improved from last season but I'm still not sure they're in a position to break through in the Eastern Conference to make the postseason. That almost certainly means they're likely to find themselves back in the lottery for the fifth straight season. Despite that inevitability, there are some positive signs the Pistons can build off of. And heading into the 2025 NBA Draft, if the Pistons do have a top-10 pick, they'll have a chance to add another talented prospect to their developing young core.
Finding the right prospect that would be a good fit could be complicated. With how the Pistons are currently built, they have two strong ball-handlers in Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey and if there's one area of need that the team has on the roster, it's probably finding a consistent young shooter. Malik Beasley has statistically been the team's best 3-point shooter this season but he's far from a guarantee to be back next season. As a team, the Pistons are also a below-average 3-point shooting team.
Why Liam McNeeley makes sense for the Pistons
One prospect that could make some sense on this front for the Pistons is Liam McNeeley. He may not be a prospect that is considered to have a high ceiling but he can shoot the lights out of the basketball. Even though he hasn't been extremely efficient from 3-point range so far this season, the ability he has on the front is a skill set that isn't usually teachable. McNeeley is still growing as an offensive prospect and his catch-and-shoot ability should make him a strong prospect in this year's draft class.
For a player that could complement both Cunningham and Ivey moving forward, there's reason to believe that McNeeley would be a natural fit for the Pistons. Maybe the Pistons would want to take a bigger swing with their top 10 pick but I also believe that there's a reason why McNeeley could be viewed as almost the perfect pick for the Pistons in this spot. I wouldn't sleep on him as a prospect, especially with the tools that he has as an offensive player.