The Detroit Pistons finally got lucky on Tuesday as they grabbed the no. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery. Soon-to-be Hall of Famer Ben Wallace proved to be a lucky charm for the Pistons, who will have the top overall pick for the first time since selecting Hall of Fame center Bob Lanier out of St. Bonaventure University in the 1970 NBA Draft.
Pistons land top pick with Cunningham the projected selection
It will be Detroit's first top-five selection since the Pistons selected Darko Milicic second overall in the 2003 draft and their third in the past 40 years.
The Pistons also took Grant Hill third overall in the 1994 draft. With the top pick, the Pistons now have a grand opportunity to accelerate their rebuild. They already have some good young pieces in the squad after a great haul last year, picking Killian Hayes (seventh), Isaiah Stewart (16th), and Saddiq Bey (19th) in the 2020 Draft.
Based on early projections, Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham is widely expected to be the no. 1 pick in this year's draft. Such is Cunningham's confidence in his draft stock that according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the plan is for him to visit only one team before the draft: the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit general manager Troy Weaver, who was hired to run the Pistons' basketball operations just last year, was delighted with the development, telling reporters, "We're excited to be in this position. But it means that we've got a lot of work to do and we're going to be diligent about it. But it always helps to be able to add the number one pick."
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Rockets, Cavs, Raptors round out top 4
Following the Pistons in this loaded 2021 draft are the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Toronto Raptors. The Rockets finished the season with the NBA's worst record after trading star player James Harden and were rewarded with the second overall pick.
They now have a chance to restock their lineup immediately, with the Rockets owning several draft picks for the next couple of years and build some young talent around Christian Wood.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, after selecting fifth the past two seasons, got lucky this time around and will pick third in the 2021 Draft. With that selection, the Cavaliers have a great chance to add another solid piece to their young crew, including young guards Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, as well as forward Isaac Okoro and center Jarrett Allen.
Something finally good happened to the Toronto Raptors after a tumultuous 2020-21 season which saw their run of seven straight playoff appearances come to an end. The lottery balls went their way as the Raptors got the fourth overall pick.
Rounding out the top 10 are the Orlando Magic; Oklahoma City Thunder; Golden State Warriors, which get the Minnesota Timberwolves' selection; Orlando again, which gets the Chicago Bulls' selection; Sacramento Kings; and the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, and Golden State Warriors round out the remaining lottery picks.
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