The Detroit Pistons selected Bobi Klintman with the No. 37 overall pick in the second round. Detroit moved up from No. 53 in a reported trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where the Pistons also acquired third-year wing Wendell Moore Jr.
Minnesota is trading Wendell Moore Jr. and the No. 37 pick in today’s Day 2 of NBA draft to Detroit, sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2024
Klintman spent last season in the NBL with the Cairns Taipans where he averaged 10.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game. He shot 33.7% from three on 3.5 attempts per game and hit at a 81.3 clip from the free-throw line.
Before he went to the NBL, Klintman received some draft buzz last year after one season at Wake Forest. He elected to take one more development year, which was probably the right choice as he’s still a raw talent who needs some time.
In the NBL, he improved as a shooter and impacts both ends of the court. The Pistons can plug him into any lineup as a versatile option who can move off-the-ball and hopefully knock down shots.
Klintman’s skillset at his size is his calling card to me. If he improves as a defender, he could potentially play as a small-ball five in spurts within certain lineups. I had him at No. 31 overall on my personal big board.
At the combine, he measured 6’8.75” without shoes, with a 6’11” wingspan.
When a couple of the stretch bigs came off the board early in the second round, a group of wing players with upside were available for the Pistons. I like them betting on Klintman here and can see him getting reps in the G League, with the potential to find some spot minutes in the NBA and make his way into the rotation eventually.
The pick follows the Pistons’ first-round selection of Ron Holland II at No. 5 overall. We’ll see if Langdon maneuvers into the back portion of this draft, but if the Pistons are done, they bet on a couple of wings, which is a strong draft philosophy to take. With Klintman, they get a wing with size who projects as a floor spacing, two-way player at the next level.