The Detroit Pistons hold the top pick in the draft, but general manager Troy Weaver and the front office have not declared Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham as their man. They’ve been doing due diligence. Which has opened the door to trade ideas.
The Athletic posted trade ideas involving the Pistons and their pick, proposing offers from each team in the top-5, the Oklahoma City Thunder (6), the Sacramento Kings (9) and the New Orleans Pelicans (10).
While the Thunder don’t have as high a draft pick as most teams, they do have perhaps the best player of the group: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Athletic team weighed the merits of trading their star point guard for a player who looks like a can’t-miss prospect. The offer was SGA and pick No. 6 for the top pick in the draft.
Reporter James L. Edwards III wrote:
“I think most scouts and execs would say that Cunningham has more upside than SGA, even though Cunningham hasn’t played an NBA game. So there is risk. On top of that, Cunningham played his college ball in Oklahoma. He’d be the perfect face for the rebuild in Oklahoma City as the team endures several years of rebuilding.”
By all accounts, Cunningham has top-10 potential upside and a high floor. A guard with a 6-foot-8 height and a 7-foot wingspan, he has incredible size for a player as skilled as he is at initiating the offense and passing. It’s rare to find someone like him, and he very well may end up better than Gilgeous-Alexander.
But the current Thunder guard, who turns 23 on Monday, is already one of the best young athletes in the league and probably among the 30 best players in the NBA. There’s certainty and familiarity here that Cunningham lacks.
If the Thunder want to tear it down for real, they could get started with a 19-year-old who could develop into a superstar sooner than later. Cunningham has an upside higher than Gilgeous-Alexander’s; however, as a prospect, he is still yet to show anything real and tangible. Such a trade feels unlikely. Edwards summarized it well:
“This is one I’ve thought about since Detroit landed the No. 1 pick, and it’s the first offer that I’m not sure either team does but could be significantly beneficial for both.”
Sounds like he thinks both teams would say no.
