The Detroit Pistons are in the NBA playoffs, so they missed out on the NBA draft lottery fun Sunday afternoon.
However, the full first-round draft order being set for the 2026 NBA Draft means new mock draft predictions and projections.
The Pistons own the No. 21 overall pick June 23 after swapping up seven places with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a right they acquired at the trade deadline in the three-team trade also involving the Chicago Bulls.
Let’s take a peek to see who analysts like for the Pistons, who are one of three teams remaining in the Eastern Conference playoffs, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and East finalist New York Knicks.
ESPN: Bennett Stirtz, senior PG, Iowa
Vitals: 6 feet 4, 190 pounds.
Stats: Stirtz shot 35.8% last season on 3s (6.9 attempts per game) and averaged 19.8 points and 4.4 assists per game, helping the Hawkeyes reach the Elite Eight. Spent the 2024-25 season as the leading scorer at Drake, helping them go 31-4 and win an NCAA tournament game.
ESPN’s Jeremy Woo says: “Detroit has a need for added shooting around Cade Cunningham and can go several directions at this spot. Stirtz is capable of bolstering the second unit and also adding spacing playing off the Pistons’ various playmaking wings.”
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The Athletic: Dailyn Swain, junior F, Texas
Vitals: 6-8, 220.
Stats: Averaged 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals in his lone season with the Longhorns after transferring following two years at Xavier.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie says: “He is an aggressive downhill player who should have zero issue pressuring the rim, even in the NBA, but who also needs to improve as a shooter to maximize that ability. Swain’s shot is elongated with a slow release, meaning that opposing players can close out on him with little issue and force contested shots. While he clearly has touch and has made 80 percent of his free throws in his career, he hasn’t made shots consistently. While Swain is a ballhawk on defense who averaged 1.5 steals for his career, he’s a riverboat gambler who often misses help rotations, and he’s often a negative on the defensive end.”
USA TODAY Sports: Christian Anderson, sophomore G, Texas Tech
Vitals: 6-3, 178.
Stats: Averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 assists and 1.5 steals last season for the Red Raiders, shooting 41.5% on 7.9 3s per game
For the Win/USAT’s Bryan Kalbrosky says: “Anderson had the most unassisted 3-pointers (61) among high-major players, per CBB Analytics. After moving from the two-guard to point guard, the All-Big 12 Most Improved Player recorded more than twice as many assists per 100 possessions as a sophomore compared to when he was a freshman.”
The Ringer: Anderson
The Ringer’s J. Kyle Mann says: “It seems likely that Detroit will look to bolster its guard depth, but it won’t commit unless said guard can shoot the cover off the ball. Anderson is not without his challenges; he’s a smaller guard who’ll need defensive support, and he’ll need to improve his game inside the arc. That said, he was one of the most effective dribble shooters from 3 in all of Division I this past season at Texas Tech. Whether he’s spelling Cade Cunningham or flying next to him, Anderson would add a sigh of relief when teams default to packing the paint to slow down Detroit’s assault on the rim.”
CBS Sports: Stirtz
CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish says: “It’s rare for somebody to end up as a first-round pick after starting a college career at the Division II level, but Stirtz has a real chance to do it. Concerns about how he’ll defend in the NBA are valid. But Stirtz is a lead guard with a good assist-to-turnover ratio and reliable jumper. If I were running a franchise, I wouldn’t overthink this one. He can play and will be in the NBA for a long time.”
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons will get a tantalizing prospect if NBA mock drafts are right
Reporting by Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
