Trajan Langdon hinted the Detroit Pistons would commerce their 2024 first-round choose. Seems, their most suitable choice was staying put.
The Pistons chosen Ron Holland II, a G League Ignite wing, with the fifth total choose throughout the first spherical of Wednesday’s NBA draft. He is the primary participant choice of the Langdon period, and a shock choose as Holland was broadly projected to go towards the top of the lottery (which ends at No. 14).
Whereas the Pistons had been open to transferring down in change for belongings, they as an alternative ended up with one of many high athletes within the draft. Holland was the No. 1 recruit within the 2023 highschool class.
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Holland, 18, is 6 ft 7 and 206 kilos. He is thought to be one of many highest-motor gamers on this class, and has a 6-11 wingspan that ought to assist him defensively. He averaged 19.5 factors, 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.3 steals and almost a block on 46% total capturing and 24% from 3 for the Ignite, which went 2-32 this season.
Holland’s poor outdoors capturing was a big consider his sliding draft inventory going into Wednesday. However after hiring shot physician Fred Vinson as an assistant coach, Langdon seems assured these percentages can enhance and unlock additional potential. Holland joins a gaggle of huge wings that presently contains final 12 months’s fifth total choose Ausar Thompson, and restricted free agent Simone Fontecchio.
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Asset assortment is a precedence for Langdon, because the Pistons nonetheless owe a future first-round choose to the New York Knicks. They’ve $64 million obtainable in free company, which begins Sunday night, and can doubtlessly use a few of it to eat dangerous wage in change for extra draft picks.
“That’s one factor that we’re in search of, with the cap house that we do have, is bringing in contracts from different groups and gathering belongings as nicely,” Langdon mentioned final week. “Hopefully these gamers that are available in can bolster the expansion of our youth. If we are able to interweave these two issues, these can be issues that may make our summer time profitable.”
The Pistons even have the 53rd total choose throughout the second spherical of the NBA draft on Thursday, which begins at 4 p.m.
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Comply with him @omarisankofa.