Pistons’ First Round Pick Could Help as Soon as Next Season

After years of selecting in the top-five, the Pistons were finally able to cash in on their talent, earning the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season. The campaign didn’t end with any hardware hoisted, though it was certainly progress for Detroit, who finished among the league’s worst teams for several seasons in a row.

At the 2026 NBA Draft, for the first time in some time, it felt like the Pistons had options. They could continue to load up on the best available talent — as they’d done for several years — or even finally consider fit somewhat, with superstar Cade Cunningham at the center.

Ultimately the organization went with a mix, grabbing one of the top available talents in Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie with the No. 17 pick, while getting a prospect who also fills some team needs.

Okorie was a four-star prospect who wasn’t expected to set college basketball ablaze in the scoring department, but did so with the Cardinal last year. He scored a blistering 23.2 points per game on 47% shooting, hitting 35% of his threes while adding rebounding, passing and more.

Okorie is of the speed guard mold, able to teleport to get paint touches and create advantages at the drop of a hat. He’s a unique athlete, able to accelerate with the ball in hand and float around the rim for creative finishes.

Okorie’s primary draw as a draft prospect is his rim pressure and creation ability, able to make instant offense with the ball.

While Detroit has that largely shored up with Cunningham running the show, there’s certainly still a need on the Pistons’ roster for secondary creation.

Cunningham will still be handling the ball the majority of the time, finding his spots and passing to cutters and shooters when needed. Still, as pressure mounts up, he’ll need outlets to relieve pressure, and Okorie could be that.

Okorie will be able to play alongside or in reserve of Cunningham. In the back-end rotation, he’ll be able to handle, slash and get out in transition, offering passing in moderation. Alongside Cunningham, he offers just enough 3-point shooting to get by with room to grow.

This specific combination of skills could help Okorie to be impactful in Year 1. While most rookies have a tough time impacting the game at a positive level early in their careers, Okorie was instantly good at the college level, and has a clear pathway toward impact in Detroit.

Look for Okorie to be among the 2026 class's early producers, largely as a scorer.

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