DETROIT – The 2017 NBA Draft is right around the corner and the Detroit Pistons are hoping to hit it big with a lottery pick.
The Pistons own the 12th pick after the NBA Draft Lottery.
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The Pistons had a disappointing 2017 season, missing the playoffs the year after making the postseason in 2016 for the first time in six years.
NBA Draft rumors: Pistons open to trading 12th pick for 'win-now' veteran
There's much uncertainty with the roster moving into the offseason.
With the Pistons slated for a late lottery pick, here's what experts from around the league are expecting:
Bleacher Report: Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina: UNC's leading scorer worked out with the Pistons this week.
CBS Sports: (Pistons trade up to No. 10): Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky: With perhaps the best natural scorer in this draft still available at 10, the Pistons frantically pull the trigger on a trade that'll instantly give them credibility from three-point land, where this team struggles as much as any team in the league. It's a win-win; the Pistons draft a player in Monk who would have been a top-five level talent in a less stacked draft, while the Kings only drop back a couple of picks and acquire a useful piece in combo guard Michael Gbineje, who was a second-round pick last year (and who shot nearly 40 percent from three his senior season in college).
NewsDay: Zach Collins, forward/center, Gonzaga: The 7-foot freshman was extremely effective for Gonzaga in limited minutes. He ranked 22nd nationally with a 67.2 percent field-goal percentage and 9.8 percent block rate and 82nd with a 23.2 percent defensive rebounding rate. Collins became a nationally known commodity in the Final Four, when he had 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks to lead Gonzaga into the championship.
HoopsHype: Jarrett Allen, center, Texas: The Pistons could look to grab a guard or forward here, however Allen would seem to be the player with the most upside available. Detroit isn’t a team that is close to contending at this point, so drafting for need this high wouldn’t make much sense. Andre Drummond remains the team’s most valuable player, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they wouldn’t draft a player at the same position if they felt they were the best talent available.
Uproxx: Donovan Mitchell, SG, Louisville: Mitchell is (very) tough to project but it helps that the NBA is going to a position-less brand of basketball in many ways. Is he a point guard? No, but Mitchell might be able to act as a primary ball-handler in some ways and the Reggie Jackson experience did not go well in 2016-2017. If Kentavious Caldwell-Pope returns (and he is a restricted free agent), Mitchell could fit in nicely as a third guard in the short term with real upside if he can put things together offensively.
Fox Sports: Frank Ntilikina, PG, Strasbourg: Ntilikina has a long way to go before he'll make an impact in the NBA. Luckily, the Pistons already have Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith to hold down the fort until the 18-year-old Frenchman is ready.