Detroit Pistons win NBA draft lottery for first time ever, will have top 2021 pick

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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 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. 

© Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham celebrates after a basket against Oklahoma during an overtime win Feb. 27, 2021 in Norman, Okla.

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. 

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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

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Beyond Cunningham, there are three other prospects — USC big man Evan Mobley, G League Ignite guard Jalen Green and Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs — who are widely considered to be among the draft’s top tier. 

Beyond the first pick, the Pistons also own three picks in the second round — Nos. 37 (from Toronto), 42 (from Charlotte) and 52 (from Los Angeles Lakers). New York owns the Pistons’ second-rounder at No. 32. 

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons win NBA draft lottery for first time ever, will have top 2021 pick