Who are the Detroit Pistons going to draft next month? That is a question NBA draft experts can’t seem to agree on, even as Detroit’s biggest need filters to the backcourt.
The Pistons have the No. 21 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, moving up from No. 28 in the draft order after a protected pick swap with the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired in the Jaden Ivey three-way trade converted in Detroit’s favor.
And now the Pistons, who finished with the top seed in the Eastern Conference but fell in the second round of the playoffs to the Cleveland Cavaliers, have a big decision to make in the first round, set for June 23 at Barclays Center in New York.
The Pistons are in need of shooting, especially from the perimeter, as Detroit looks for a secondary scoring option to compliment All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham. It’s possible the Pistons will instead address that need through a trade or free agency, but with the Pistons having the third-lowest number of made 3s in the regular season among all NBA teams, it may not hurt to find more shooting in the draft.
Here is a roundup of what the latest mock drafts are saying following the end of the NBA Combine.
USA TODAY SPORTS: Koa Peat, F, Arizona
USA TODAY’s Bryan Kalbrosky has the Pistons drafting Arizona wing Koa Peat, while also acknowledging a potential return to the Wildcats for Peat. (The deadline for early entrants to withdraw from this year’s draft is Wednesday, May 27.
“The Detroit Pistons have drafted several prospects capable of contributing to an elite defense, which means a player like Arizona forward Koa Peat will probably have some appeal to the organization,” he wrote. “He is athletic with good positional size and length. Peat is also a solid rebounder and passer for his position. The All-Big 12 forward will desperately need an improved jumper to carve out regular minutes as a high-impact pro.”
ESPN: Isaiah Evans, SG, Duke
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo thinks Duke guard Isaiah Evans can give the Pistons “an injection of offense” from the shooting guard position.
“He projects as a movement shooter and floor spacer with positional size and long-term upside as he hones that skill set,” Woo wrote. “Though his range is somewhat wide at the moment, he’s probably off the board in the back half of the first round.”
Yahoo Sports: Evans
Yahoo’s Kevin O’Conner agrees with Woo that the Pistons will add another Isaiah to their roster.
“Finding more shooting and creation would be one of the priorities entering this summer, which makes Evans an appealing choice,” he wrote. “Evans is the kind of shooter that defenses always need to worry about. He’s a legitimate sharpshooter with the off-ball chops to thrive without even running any offense for himself, and he also has a developing handle that could unlock more creation chances. He’s still a perimeter-based player who needs to add more layers to his game to become a complete offensive talent, but the Pistons only need secondary creation alongside Cade Cunningham, not a primary creator.”
NBC Sports: Ebuka Okorie, PG, Stanford
NBC’s Dalton Johnson sees Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie as a good fit for a Pistons team in need of shot creation.
“The new-age Grit and Grind Pistons would break speed limits everywhere by adding Okorie,” he writes. “He can get to the rim and shoot it from deep, is smart with the ball and would allow Cade Cunningham to play more off the ball and not have all the responsibility in his hands.”
CBS Sports: Okorie
CBS’s Adam Finkelstein agrees with Johnson, adding that the Pistons seemed to be doing “due diligence” on Okorie during the combine.
“Okorie lacks overwhelming size, but he has terrific speed, can get a piece of the paint on demand, and his shooting continued to tick up as the season went on last year,” he writes.
Bleacher Report: Christian Anderson, PG, Texas Tech
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley also thinks the Pistons are taking a point guard.
“Detroit’s need for support scoring and creation around Cade Cunningham won’t be filled with the 21st pick, but Anderson can at least help in both departments,” he wrote. “Anderson is undersized and not a great athlete, but his three-ball typically runs too hot to touch, and he’s a clever creator out of pick-and-rolls.”
Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons mock draft roundup after NBA combine features PG help
Reporting by Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
