Pistons Ranked as One of the Unluckiest NBA Draft Lottery Teams

When the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery takes place on Monday night, the Detroit Pistons won’t have to worry about the ping pong balls involved this time around.

For the franchise, that’s a great thing for two reasons. One, the Pistons were good enough to avoid the lottery this year, showing signs of truly turning a corner.

And two, the Pistons are one of the unluckiest teams in NBA Draft Lottery history. Bleacher Report’s recent rankings of unlucky lottery squads bring proof of that factor.

“You could forgive a fan of the Detroit Pistons for believing their team has the worst luck,” BR’s David Kenyon writes. “In recent years, that's certainly been the case.”

In 18 lottery drawings, the Pistons have dropped a total of 17 spots since 1993. Just once they moved up, which was 2021, the year they won the lottery to draft their franchise cornerstone, Cade Cunningham.

Jul 29, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State) arrives on the red carpet before the 2021 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Only One Team Has It Worse Than the Pistons

The Miami Heat are typically a competitive bunch and tend to avoid lottery scenarios. That’s a good thing because they haven’t had much luck.

Out of 11 lottery drawings, the Heat have witnessed their position drop six times. For the five other years, the Heat stayed in their pre-lottery spot.

Mar 1, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Killian Hayes (7) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

It’s All Good in the Motor City

At the end of the day, the Pistons are on the rise. Around this time last year, Detroit was in a tough spot. They finished the 2023-2024 season with an NBA-worst 14-68 record. Despite being one of the teams with the highest odds of winning the lottery, the Pistons’ lack of luck showed as they ended up with the fifth pick.

Detroit eventually used its selection on NBA G League standout, Ron Holland. While he wasn’t in the NBA’s Rookie of the Year conversation, Holland carved out a role for himself as a valuable reserve in year one. He played a part in helping the Pistons turn into a playoff contender for the first time since 2019.

For the first time since 2020, the Pistons aren’t going to be in the lottery. With a chance to look back, Detroit’s unfortunate lottery luck hasn’t affected their drafting success. While the 2020 selection of Killian Hayes at 7th overall is chalked up as a bust at this point, Detroit still employs Cade Cunningham (2021 No. 1 pick), Jaden Ivey (2022 No. 5 pick), Ausar Thompson (2023 No. 5 pick), and Ron Holland (2024 No. 5 pick). Each of those players has a key role on the team.

More Pistons on SI

You can contact Justin Grasso via e-mail: JustinGrasso32@gmail.com