(The Athletic) Detroit might pass on Cade and take Jalen Green #1?

This.

KPJ needs to put in a few successful years in the league before he’s fully trusted. Less than a year ago, Cleveland straight up gave up on the guy because of behavioral/maturity issues. He had an ok season for us, on a historically bad team, and putting up poor efficiency numbers. This is not someone who you build a franchise on. I do like his potential, but he’s very high risk.

 

Yes, with Detroit at #1, they can pick either. They are never going to say they like Green better until the the pick is announced. If they have them rated somewhat equally and the Rockets have Cade a clear #1 The Rockets can insure they get Cade at the cost of only Detroit's future protected #1 obligation that may take years to materialize. Detroit might do it because the outstanding obligation stops them from including a future #1 in trade scenario's until it is fulfilled, and they get the guy they want anyway.

It's a win/win. The idea is not original to me, I just read it and it made a lot of sense.

 

Against arguably the best perimeter defender in basketball.

What makes this tricky is that fully trusting him to run the point might be the only chance to actually unlock his potential. One of the major reasons that I think we need to move John Wall.

If he flounders we struggle and get more picks. If he learns and thrives, great.

 

The situation the poster is trying to layout:

Detroit may want to take Green but don't have the balls to pass on Cade. Detroit may be willing to move down to show they got something while still getting the guy the really want. That Detroit pick would actually be more useful to them than to us. The protections on it don't really make it out to be that great of an asset for us, but for Detroit it ties their hands a little bit. So they slide down, get the extra draft flexibility, and a little bit smaller of a rookie contract. Not much, but something to save face I guess.

I don't think that is much to give up. Anything more than that and that would have to depend on how much Stone values Cade.

 

It would be funny to do this and the Rockets take Green at #1. Then make the Pistons come up with another trade package to get Green. It wont happen, but it would be funny.

 

I may be on an island here, but I don’t care: I’d sacrifice our late FRPs to secure Cade. Wouldn’t think twice about it.

 

It is very possible that the Pistons are torn between Cade and Green at 1. If that measly future Detroit 1st would sway them to give us Cade, it must be considered.

I think you can make a case that Rafael should be fired If he doesn't attach an extra mediocre asset to grab a potential superstar.

 

I don't think Cade is that much better than the two others and still has bust potential. So I don't give up anything to get him. If he drops to two, fine. Take him and run. If he doesn't, that's fine too, take Mobley or Green and run.

Cade still has some major concerns in his game and I feel his worst case scenario, that's he's some odd tweener that just never puts it all together...is still very possible.

I don't think Detroit will be passing on him though, they are just doing their due diligence as they should and letting teams know their options are open and I think should they pick Green it wouldn't be a great shocker, not quite like someone passing on Lebron.

 

I could absolutely see this. Cade is the cleaner prospect, Green is a better fit with arguably more upside. If they can let another team make the decision and add some draft capital, I get the appeal.

 

I agree that the 'Green to Detroit' news is probably a smokescreen. It could be promoted by Green's agent.
It makes for more eyeballs than 'Cade is Detroit's Sure Thing'.

 

Why are we assuming the decision to take Green ahead of Cunningham at #1 is so monumentally horrid that Weaver needs to move down one pick to make himself feel better at the end of the day? For all intents and purposes taking Green at 1 is a great move from a Pistons POV. You get a dynamic player that has potential to sell tickets due to his high flying game and gives you one more year to find out if the point guard you just picked last year (Hayes) has the tools/goods to be a starting-caliber point guard next to a bucket-getter in Green. If Hayes isn't the one and Green pans out the way most of us thinks he will then Weaver looks like a genius.

Bottom line is that I don't think Weaver/Pistons are so gun shy about taking Green with the 1st pick that they're going to call the Rockets up and play out the scenario we're talking about. I really like to think the days of Ray-Allen-for-Stephon-Marbury draft day deals are a thing of the past.

Edit: Maybe I'm an idiot. Who knows. I just don't see how Stone would be forced to give up anything if he gets his pick between Green and Cunningham at 2 unless Cunningham is graded/rated SIGNIFICANTLY higher on his list than Green.

 

Weaver was also the guy pushing OKC to draft Westbrook when he wasn't projected to go that early.

Westbrook was projected in the 9-14 range that year.

 

Nothing you say is wrong.

Another scenario is that Weaver may have Cade ranked only slightly ahead of Green and any little Rocket sweetener may push them into trading the pick.

Rockets may have Cade significantly ahead of Green (which is the consensus, not that that matters when the actual teams picking are involved), which would make any throw-ins not as big of a deal.

 

The big question here is: can Cade and KPJ coexist?

 

The bigger question here is: can KPJ coexist with Cade? One is coming in as the #2 pick in the draft and the other should be thanking his lucky stars he got a fresh start in Houston.

 

No one is questioning that the star around which the team should be built would be Cunningham! For the same reason, that KPJ was a complementary and non-redundant figure would be one more step in the rebuilding of the team.

 

That's interesting I do remember Russ being a bit of a reach and that did work out for him then so he might still value that athleticism

 

I've asked the same question and I don't think so, because they both do the same things and I think Detroit is asking themselves the same thing, since they already have a point guard

 

To me, it doesn't matter how they got here but what are they doing and what they will be doing moving forward.

It's like when the Rockets drafted Morris and Parsons, Morris was a 1st rnd draft pick and Parsons was a 2nd rnd draft pick but Parsons showed initially he was the better prospect.

 

While he had a pretty "meh" year I think Weaver don't want to write off Killian Hayes just yet. Kid won't even turn 20 until next month. Picking Green to give Detroit a scorer in the backcourt would help Hayes a lot.