Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons selected one of the most athletic players in this year's class when it picked Overtime Elite's Ausar Thompson with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report

Player: Ausar Thompson

Position: SG/SF

Height: 6'7"

Pro Comparison: Andrew Wiggins

Scouting Report: All-world athleticism and an improving handle create easy scoring for Thompson, who still has plenty of room to grow as a shot-maker and decision-maker. Lottery teams will be betting on his skill development, but even a worst-case outcome pictures him soaring in transition, slashing and playmaking in the half court and defending opposing teams' top wings.

Pistons Active Roster and 2023-24 Salary (Expiration Year)

Ausar Thompson, SG/SF (rookie-scale contract)

Jaden Ivey, SG: $7.6M (2026)

Jalen Duren, C: $4.3M (2026)

Cade Cunningham, PG: $11.1M (2025)

Bojan Bogdanović, SF: $20M (2025)

Marvin Bagley III, PF: $12.5M (2025)

James Wiseman, C: $12.1M (2024)

Alec Burks, SG: $10.5M (2024, club option)

Killian Hayes, PG: $7.4M (2024)

Isaiah Stewart, C: $5.3M (2024)

Isaiah Livers, SF: $1.8M (2024, club option)

R.J. Hampton, PG: $2M (2024)

Eugene Omoruyi, SF: $1.9M (2024, club option)

Free Agents

Hamidou Diallo, SG: UFA

Cory Joseph, PG: UFA

Rodney McGruder, SG: UFA

Buddy Boeheim, SG: RFA

Jared Rhoden, SG: RFA

Thompson and his twin brother, Amen, who was selected fourth overall by the Houston Rockets in this year's draft, both played for the Overtime Elite league's City Reapers over the last two seasons, forfeiting their college eligibility to do so.

The brothers were both considered 5-star prospects before making their decision to play in the Atlanta-based Overtime Elite league.

Ausar is a 6'7" wing who is wildly athletic, a creative scorer and skilled ball-handler. He won the Overtime Elite league's MVP award in 2022-23 after recording 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.

The 20-year-old upped his game in the postseason, averaging 21.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

His athleticism and versatility should help him land a solid role in the Pistons' rotation as a rookie alongside the likes of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.

Many NBA draft analysts have Villanova forward Cam Whitmore landing at No. 5 overall to the Detroit Pistons, but there's reporetedly a possibility he slides to the back half of the lottery.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported the latest on the eve of the NBA Draft:

"After Miller and Henderson hear their names called second and third in some order — with Miller seen as the likely No. 2 selection at this juncture — rival teams continue to predict Houston will select Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson with the fourth pick. When Detroit comes on the clock at No. 5, there still seems to be a handful of names under Pistons consideration, as word has spread around the league that Villanova wing Cam Whitmore may perhaps slide toward the 10th pick of the draft."

Of note, Houston forward Jarace Walker told Fischer that he believes his range of possibilities starts with Detroit. General manager Troy Weaver also reportedly values Overtime Elite guard Ausar Thompson and UCF forward Taylor Hendricks in addition to Walker and Whitmore, per Fischer.

Numerous analysts are split on Whitmore's landing spot. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has him going ninth to the Utah Jazz, with Walker going to the Pistons. ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have the same breakdown.

Kevin O'Connor of the Ringer has Ausar Thompson headed to Detroit and Whitmore to Utah. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has Thompson to the Pistons and Whitmore going one spot later to the Orlando Magic.

The 6'7", 232-pound Whitmore played one season at Villanova before jumping to the pros, averaging 12.5 points on 47.8 percent shooting and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Wasserman wrote in his latest big board, where the ex-Nova star ranks ninth, that Whitmore "possesses too much explosiveness, power and shot-making ability for teams to nitpick and let him slide."

With the NBA Draft less than a week away, Ausar Thompson may be the leader in the clubhouse to be the Detroit Pistons' pick at No. 5 overall. The Overtime Elite star has 'big' supporters in the organization's front office, according to The Athletic's James L. Edwards III.

But with the draft fairly wide open and unpredictable following the first three picks by the Spurs, Hornets and Trail Blazers, it's hard to tell whether Thompson will even make it to the Motor City at the fifth pick.

Edwards also listed Thompson's brother, Amen, Villanova's Cam Whitmore, Houston's Jarace Walker and Central Florida's Taylor Hendricks as contenders for the selection.

Being compared to former NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala by The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, Ausar has been viewed as a slightly better prospect than his brother for most of the pre-draft proccess.

At 6-foot-7, Ausar is seen as much more of a wing player that can have some serious impact on both ends of the floor due to his length, athleticism and his ability to score while going downhill.

Last season he averaged 16.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists and 2.7 assists with the City Reapers of Overtime Elite. He was named the league MVP for the first time and won Finals MVP for the second-consecutive season.

He'd be a very nice addition to an already young, long and talented core in Detroit that includes former No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham as well as other former lottery talents like Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and James Wiseman.

With Victor Wembanyama destined to go No. 1 to the Spurs and Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller battling it out for the two and three spots, the Pistons really only have the Houston Rockets standing in the way between themselves and Ausar.

But the organization won't be shy about trading up or down in the draft to make sure they get the guy they want at good value.

"If it's going to help us move forward, we'll entertain anything," general manager Troy Weaver said back in April. "We're excited about this draft pool, but we'll try to move the team forward any way we can."

The Pistons faced major disappointment after finishing with the fifth pick despite ending the year with the worst record in the NBA at 17-65 and missing out on a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama.

They'll be hoping to land another young star as they look to supply coach Monty Williams with a decent arsenal going into his first season at helm. Maybe Ausar can be that guy.

As the Detroit Pistons look to fill out their roster around Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, the front office is keeping an eye on Cameron Johnson leading up to the start of free agency.

Per NBA insider Marc Stein, Johnson is a "prominent (and rising)" target on the Pistons' list of free-agent options in part because of his connection with new head coach Monty Williams.

Stein did note the Brooklyn Nets are "quietly expressing confidence" Johnson will re-sign with them, or at least that they "will match any external offer they need to match to keep him."

"Stay tuned to see if that leads to a salary-dumping move or two from Brooklyn to create additional payroll flexibility," Stein wrote. "Dorian Finney-Smith, acquired from Dallas in February in the Kyrie Irving trade, remains a prime trade candidate."

The Nets acquired Johnson from the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 9 as part of the Kevin Durant trade. He made 25 starts after the trade, averaging 16.6 points on 46.8 percent shooting.

Johnson is a restricted free agent this summer and could be in line for a lucrative contract thanks to his three-point shooting ability.

In April, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto spoke to six executives across the NBA who estimated Johnson will sign a deal in the range of $90 million over four years.

Scotto noted the Houston Rockets are one of several teams expected to have interest in Johnson. The North Carolina alum made it sound like he was expecting to be back with the Nets after their first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia 76ers:

"It's been a crazy season. I can't tell you that enough. Tried to merge basically three teams into one starting lineup in February. And that presents a unique set of challenges. And we tried to fight through them, I think we did and I'm proud of the group for doing them and sticking together. There was no friction. Everybody did their best to be on the same page. I'm proud of the group for that and I think (Jacque Vaughn) is too. It's setting the foundation for what we can build."

Williams was Johnson's head coach for his entire tenure in Phoenix. Detroit hired Williams as its new head coach by giving him a historic six-year, $78.5 million deal to replace Dwane Casey.

The Pistons had the NBA's worst record last season (17-65). Cunningham only appeared in 12 games due to a shin injury that required season-ending surgery in December.

Jaden Ivey, the No. 5 pick in the 2022 draft, had a solid rookie season with 16.3 points and 5.2 assists per game in 74 appearances for the Pistons.

Johnson was an older draft pick in 2019 (23) when the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him at No. 11 overall before trading his rights to the Suns. He's been a terrific shooter with a 39.3 percent success rate from three-point range in 225 career games.

The Boston Celtics have reportedly been active in trade discussions ahead of the 2023 NBA draft, and it appears the franchise is looking to bolster its center depth.

Boston checked in with the Pistons about Isaiah Stewart's availability, according to The Athletic's James L. Edwards, who added that he doesn't envision Detroit moving the big man "at all" this summer.

The Celtics enter the 2023-24 season with Al Horford and Robert Williams III as their leading centers. While that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it has been clear for some time that Boston needs to make an upgrade at the position.

Horford recently turned 37 on June 3, and his production dropped off in 2022-23 compared to his first season back in Boston during the 2021-22 campaign. In 63 games, he averaged 9.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 blocks while shooting 47.6 percent from the floor and 44.6 percent from deep.

The five-time All-Star's performance during the 2023 playoffs was particularly upsetting as he averaged just 6.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 blocks in 20 games while shooting 38.6 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Williams, meanwhile, remains a health concern for the Celtics.

The 25-year-old has been dealing with a lingering knee ailment since the 2021-22 campaign and only appeared in 35 games during the 2022-23 season. While he is effective when healthy, the Celtics could still use an upgrade as the franchise tries to maximize its time with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Williams averaged 8.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists last season while shooting 74.7 percent from the floor. During the playoffs, he averaged 7.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 20 games while shooting 78.8 percent from the floor.

Stewart, 22, is coming off his best statistical season in Detroit, averaging 11.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 50 games during the 2022-23 campaign while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor.

The New York native is also pretty good at shooting the three-ball and he would fit well in Boston's offensive scheme. He shot 32.7 percent from deep last season and is shooting 32.8 percent from three-point range during his career.

While the Pistons might not be open to moving Stewart, it's something the franchise could definitely explore as he's set to become a restricted free agent after the 2023-24 season.

Additionally, Detroit has some solid center depth with James Wiseman and Jalen Duren on board, making Stewart somewhat expendable.

After being eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, it's going to be interesting to see what changes the Celtics make this summer in an effort to return to the NBA Finals in 2024.

As the Detroit Pistons are set to pick in the top 10 of the NBA draft for the fourth consecutive year, they reportedly could look to move one of their veterans to add another premium selection.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported that the Pistons, who own the No. 5 pick in the June 22 draft, could make a deal with the Dallas Mavericks to acquire the No. 10 pick as well.

"Some trade scenarios could be in play for the Pistons with the No. 31 pick as well, for example, packaging Bojan Bogdanović for Tim Hardaway Jr. and the No. 10 pick," Givony wrote.

The Pistons acquired Bogdanović from the Utah Jazz last offseason and signed him to a two-year contract extension in October. The 34-year-old Croatian swingman excelled in his first year in Detroit, averaging a career-high 21.6 points while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three-point range. However, he was limited to 59 games after missing the final month of the season while dealing with Achilles tendinitis.

Hardaway, who is coming off his fourth full season in Dallas, averaged 14.4 points while shooting 38.5 percent from beyond the arc in 71 games with 45 starts this year. He's set to make $17.9 million next season in the second-to-last year of his four-year, $75 million contract.

Swapping Bogdanović for Hardaway would allow Detroit to get a little younger on the wing while maintaining a much-needed veteran presence. The 31-year-old Michigan product isn't necessarily a difference-maker, but he's a consistent contributor who can be productive in the right situation.

The Pistons are set to enter a new era next season after former head coach Dwane Casey took a front-office position and was replaced on the bench by former Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams. The Pistons made Williams the highest-paid coach in NBA history with a six-year, $78.5 million contract.

Detroit is hoping to build its young core around 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham and 2022 No. 5 pick Jaden Ivey, so it will be interesting to see what moves the franchise makes this offseason to accomplish that goal.

Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham loves his team's hire of Monty Williams as the new head coach, calling it a best-case scenario at Williams' introductory press conference on Tuesday.

Cade Cunningham gives his thoughts on the hire of Monty Williams and his initial interactions with him as well as a personal health update. #Pistons pic.twitter.com/81SgP2yWMX

— FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (@FanDuelSN_DET) June 13, 2023

"I thought it was best-case scenario," Cunningham said, per Duane Rankin of azcentral.

"I couldn't have been happier. Thought it was the perfect person for us and I was just excited for the team, for us to be able to learn from him and take it to the next level."

Williams has been a head, associate or assistant coach in the NBA since 2005. He just came off a four-year stint as the head coach for the Phoenix Suns, who parted ways with Williams after this season. The 50-year-old led the Suns to the Western Conference title in 2020-21 and the NBA's best regular-season record in 2021-22.

The young and rebuilding Pistons are coming off a 19-63 season. Afterward, head coach Dwane Casey moved to a front-office role, paving the way for the team to sign Williams to a record-breaking six-year, $78.5 million contract.

Williams could be a great fit for this team, which has exciting young talent led by Cunningham and is set to add another player with the No. 5 overall pick.

He's done great work with point guards in the past, namely veteran Chris Paul, who guided the Suns on the floor under Williams.

Cunningham could see great success with the coaching change.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft was limited to just 12 games last season after undergoing season-ending shin surgery, but he said Tuesday that he feels "amazing" and that if there was a game, he'd be ready to play. He has averaged 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists in his two seasons (76 games).

Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams was pretty honest when asked about the reasons he chose to sign with his new team.

"The quick answer is [general manager Troy Weaver], the players and the money," he told reporters Tuesday. "That's something people don't talk about. They say it wasn't the money. I laugh at that. I think it's disrespectful."

Williams will take over a young Pistons roster built around ascending talents Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, among others, and seems excited for the process of helping them take the next step.

"I like the process of building. I like seeing players get better. I like seeing a guy for the first time understand what it takes to navigate crunch-time situations," he told reporters. "These jobs are privileges and there are only 30 of them, and I look at it that way."

But also...the money. And after reportedly signing an NBA-record deal (six years, $78.5 million), who could blame him there?

Rival executives around the league believe Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart could be traded this offseason, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

Stewart—a first-round pick in the 2020 NBA draft—is part of a young frontcourt in the Motor City that includes former lottery talents like Jalen Duren, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley.

Those executives believe it may just be too many bodies for those positions, and Stewart may be the piece that the franchise will look to move.

However, The Athletic's James Edwards, who covers the Pistons' beat, countered by saying that the organization's front office thinks too highly of Stewart to trade him and that it'd be hard to envision him playing anywhere else.

"[General manager] Troy Weaver loves Isaiah Stewart. I would be stunned if Isaiah played anywhere else anytime soon – stunned – based on conversations I've had," Edwards wrote. "I've felt very confident that Stewart would be here, and the Wiseman thing was more of a gamble on potential than we're trying to find a replacement."

Edwards believes that Stewart and Duren are likely the team's starting frontcourt moving forward. They would both be ahead of Wiseman, a former No. 2 pick who Detroit acquired from the Warriors ahead of the trade deadline.

The combination of Stewart and Duren have shown too much potential together to supplant them so early in their development.

"He's beloved in Detroit. He embodies everything that this city is about," Edwards added. "... I think it's far more likely that Duren and Stewart are the frontcourt. I think Wiseman was a guy they had a chance to get that they liked coming into his draft and see if they could unlock some potential as a backup big or starting big. Right now, it's Duren and Stewart's frontcourt job."

At 22 years old, Stewart is coming off the best offensive season of his career, averaging a career-high 11.3 points per game to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 28 minutes a night.

Edwards thinks it's far more likely that Stewart signs an extension this summer instead of getting traded.

After officially hiring Monty Williams as their new head coach last week, the first notable roster decision for the Detroit Pistons appears to be keeping Alec Burks.

Per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the Pistons are expected to pick up their $10.5 million team option on the 31-year-old's contract for the 2023-24 season.

Burks was mentioned as a potential trade candidate during the season, though NBA insider Marc Stein noted on Feb. 1 another team was going to have to offer the Pistons "quality draft capital" to make a deal.

No trade ever materialized, and Burks finished out the season in Detroit. The Pistons acquired him, along with Nerlens Noel, in a July 2022 trade with the New York Knicks, who were trying to shed some payroll before signing Jalen Brunson.

In an otherwise dismal season for the Pistons, Burks was a standout for them. He averaged 12.8 points per game on 41.4 percent three-point shooting. He missed 31 games, including 17 straight to end the year due to a foot injury.

The 12-year veteran likely would have been a sought-after commodity if he became a free agent because of his shooting touch. He's shot over 40 percent from behind the arc in each of the past three seasons.

The Pistons could still use Burks as a trade piece after they pick up his option, but The Athletic's James Edwards III told Scotto he's viewed as a "good locker room guy."

Detroit has a solid young nucleus to build around with Cade Cunningham coming back after missing 70 games and Jaden Ivey having a promising rookie season. The team is going to add another high-lottery selection with the No. 5 pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

Having a positive veteran presence like Burks in the locker room could be valuable for a young team with a new coach trying to establish an identity.