2025 NBA Mock Draft Projects Cooper Flagg Out of Pistons’ Reach
Despite having a top-five selection in the past three NBA Drafts, the Detroit Pistons are on pace to be in a similar position for the fourth year in a row.
Could the 2025 NBA Draft, which features the popular Cooper Flagg, present the opportunity for Detroit to make it five seasons in a row with a top selection?
According to a 2025 mock draft from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Detroit will be slightly out of reach for the incoming top prospects, including Flagg.
The good news is if Givony’s projections are correct, then that could mean the Pistons improved from where they are now, which is in a position where they are bouncing back and forth from last to second-to-last place in the Eastern Conference.
The bad news? They aren’t much better in this scenario.
With the sixth pick, Givony mocks a Rutgers guard, Dylan Harper, to the Pistons. He would come after Hugo Gonzalez, Jalil Bethea, Khaman Maluach, Airious Bailey, and Flagg.
Currently, Harper is a five-star recruit out of New Jersey, attending Don Bosco Prep. Barring any changes in his commitment, he’s expected to play for Rutgers in 2025.
In the Pistons’ previous three drafts, many believe they made the right pick by selecting Cade Cunningham No. 1 overall in 2021. While it’s still too early to judge the last two drafts, Detroit seems satisfied with what they’ve seen out of Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson so far.
The only worry with this scenario is the fact that the Pistons’ most recent selection beyond the top five turned out to be a bust for them. With the seventh-overall selection in the 2020 draft the Pistons grabbed Killian Hayes.
Multiple guards taken after turned out to be All-Stars, while Hayes was recently waived ahead of the 2024 trade deadline after the Pistons failed to find a trade suitor.
As a rebuilding franchise, Detroit has no choice but to keep its eyes several years down the line, but they are fortunate to be in a position where they are expected to land another significant pick in the upcoming draft.
With the way the 2024 draft and free agency periods play out, the Pistons could be on a much better path moving toward the 2025 draft period.
