Detroit — The Detroit Pistons emerged from the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night with the player they desired. The Pistons traded with the Memphis Grizzlies to move up from No. 21 to No. 17 to select Ebuka Okorie from Stanford.
In exchange, the Pistons sent the Grizzlies the draft rights to Karim Lopez (No. 21 overall) and three future second-round picks. Detroit’s decision to move up and draft Okorie sparked excitement among fans and analysts on social media.
Okorie is a 6-foot-1 combo guard who can contribute significant scoring to the Pistons’ backcourt. During his lone season with the Stanford Cardinal, Okorie averaged 23.2 points per game. He led the ACC in scoring and ranked seventh nationally. Okorie scored 719 points during the 2025-26 season, the second-most by a freshman in Stanford history and the third-most overall.
“This moment means a lot. … The only reason I’m able to get here is by the grace of God. My faith is really big to me,” Okorie said. “My parents have instilled those values in me growing up, me and my whole family. Being able to inspire other people that may be of Nigerian background who have a similar upbringing as me, hopefully I can inspire them and show that hard work pays off, and to just chase your dreams.”
Okorie broke Stanford’s freshman single-game scoring record three times last season. His best performance came in Stanford’s 95-72 victory over Georgia Tech on Feb. 8. He scored a career-best 40 points, shooting 12-for-21 from the field and 13-for-13 from the foul line. Okorie concluded his sole season at Stanford, receiving first-team All-ACC and ACC All-Freshman Team honors.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Pistons select Ebuka Okorie in NBA Draft. Here is how social media reacted
Reporting by Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Coty M. Davis, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
