DETROIT — They were bound to get lucky eventually, right?
The Detroit Pistons won the 2021 NBA draft lottery Tuesday night and will own the first overall pick in this year's draft on July 29. Detroit is positioned to draft the consensus best prospect, Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham, or go in a different direction, which could mean trading out of the top spot.
It's the first time in franchise history the Pistons' draft pick moved up via the lottery, rather than moving down or staying put. It'll also be the first time they own the first pick in a draft since 1970, when they selected Hall of Fame center Bob Lanier.
The Pistons appeared in the lottery 14 times prior to Tuesday. It was the second appearance for general manager Troy Weaver, who saw the team slide two spots from the fifth-best odds to the seventh pick in last year's lottery.
Here's the draft order for the top-14 picks:
1. Detroit
2. Houston
3. Cleveland
4. Toronto
5. Orlando
6. Oklahoma City
7. Golden State (from Minnesota)
8. Orlando (from Chicago)
9. Sacramento
10. New Orleans
11. Charlotte
12. San Antonio
13. Indiana
14. Golden State
