Pistons get aggressive at NBA Draft, with picks and trades – The Athletic

Coming off a 20-win season, and projecting little optimism, the Pistons spent the last eight months of a pandemic perched at the crossroads while the NBA world went on without them.

The historic franchise, stripped piece by piece of all its glory over the last decade, has been in dire need of HGTV-level renovation, but season upon season of disappointment left outsiders and those on the margins wondering if a quick fix would be the path traveled. In June, the Pistons tapped Troy Weaver, a longtime assistant general manager for Oklahoma City, to become their GM and take a hammer and nails to the foundation. Months of inactivity passed due to the coronavirus. Questions intensified about which way Detroit was going. If there was a plan, everyone had to sit on their hands until the time was right.

Then, just an hour before the Pistons were scheduled to select No. 7 overall in Wednesday’s 2020 NBA Draft, the answer to any and all inquiries manifested. It was then…