Detroit Pistons: Was the 2020 Draft a bust for Troy Weaver?
One of the biggest topics of discussion around the Detroit Pistons this season is whether or not the 2020 NBA Draft was a bust.
The Pistons ended up having the 7th, 16th and 19th picks in that draft after some wheeling and dealing and after the first season it looked like a roaring success.
But things change quickly in the NBA and development is not linear, so there are now many fans that feel much differently about that draft now after nearly three full seasons of evidence.
light. Related Story. 2020 NBA re-Draft: How many Pistons go in the 1st round?
Even after trading Saddiq Bey, the Detroit Pistons still have four players from that draft after acquiring RJ Hampton off waivers.
So how does that draft look for Troy Weaver and co. now? It really depends on who you ask and what happens moving forward.
Detroit Pistons: Was the 2020 Draft a bust?
Saddiq Bey/James Wiseman
The Pistons traded four second-round picks and Luke Kennard for the rights to draft Saddiq Bey and even that looks questionable now that Detroit has shipped Bey off in a deal that eventually landed him in Atlanta.
They swapped him out for the #2 pick from the 2020 Draft, James Wiseman, who didn’t play much in Golden State and has not come close to reaching the potential of that pick. It’s too early to say which of Bey or Wiseman is better, but I’m glad the Pistons aren’t going to be overpaying Bey this summer, as he looks like a role player. There’s nothing wrong with being a role player when you are drafted in the late first round, so I still think Weaver did a great job of identifying talent here. Other than Tyrese Maxey and Desmond Bane (who just about everyone missed on) there wasn’t anyone taken after Bey that has been definitively better.
But now things have shifted to James Wiseman, who probably has more potential than Bey and is still just 21-years-old until the end of March. So this pick will come down to two things: Does Wiseman ever reach his potential and how much is it going to cost to find out?
Wiseman is eligible for an extension this summer, so the Detroit Pistons have a chance to potentially lock him into a team-friendly deal. But the potential is also there to overpay a guy who has done next to nothing in his NBA career, so this one is in wait and see mode.
Verdict: Pending