The Pistons’ representative in the lottery last season was Ben Wallace, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last fall. Wallace exulted in the Pistons’ winning the lottery and later selecting Cade Cunningham first overall.
This time, the Pistons are looking to one of Wallace’s teammates from the “Goin’ to Work” era to try to get another top pick. Richard “Rip” Hamilton will represent the Pistons for the draft lottery, which will take place in Chicago on Tuesday night.
The Pistons, who finished 23-59 this season, had the third-worst record in the league and will be tied for the best odds (14%) of getting the No. 1 pick, along with the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. The lowest the Pistons can fall in the lottery is seventh.
The NBA Draft Combine will take place this week in Chicago, and many of the top prospects, which include Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Duke’s Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, are unlikely to participate in the combine.
We’re offering a great rate on digital subscriptions. Click here.