NBA trade roundup: Pistons wind up with 3 first-round picks

After standing pat at No. 7 and selecting French point guard Killian Hayes,
the Pistons were able to add Washington center Isaiah Stewart at No. 16 after
a three-way trade with the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Detroit then acquired Villanova forward Saddiq Bey at No. 19 following a
three-way deal with the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers.

As a result, the Pistons, who rated below average in offensive or defensive
efficiency at all five positions last season, acquired help at three levels --
the point, the interior and the perimeter.

Detroit later made a third move, acquiring pick No. 38 (Vanderbilt point guard
Saben Lee) and big man Tony Bradley from Utah for an undisclosed future pick
and cash considerations.

The Stewart selection came after the Rockets, who began the night with no
draft picks, moved into the first round at No. 16 by reportedly dealing
forward Robert Covington to Portland. The Rockets also received Trevor Ariza
and a protected 2021 first-round pick from the Trail Blazers.

Houston in turn reportedly flipped Ariza and the No. 16 draft slot to the
Pistons in exchange for a future first-round pick and the Los Angeles Lakers'
2021 second-rounder.

The Bey pick at No. 19 came from Brooklyn and reportedly cost the Pistons
swingman Luke Kennard, who was sent to the Clippers. Los Angeles in turn dealt
guard Landry Shamet to the Nets and Rodney McGruder to Detroit to complete the
deal.

In other draft-day moves:

--The Timberwolves got their man -- Georgia swingman Anthony Edwards -- at No.
1, then dealt the Nos. 25 and 33 selections to the New York Knicks to acquire
Argentinian point guard Leandro Bolmaro at No. 23. The Timberwolves also
snagged the No. 28 pick, which originally belonged to the Lakers before going
to the Thunder, and they grabbed Washington forward Jaden McDaniels.

Minnesota thus was able to accomplish its goal of filling in between its two
standout returning players, point guard D'Angelo Russell and big man
Karl-Anthony Towns.

--The Knicks also maneuvered to make multiple first-round picks, dealing their
No. 27 pick (Kansas center Udoka Azubuike) and No. 38 choice (Lee) to Utah in
order to move up four spots. They subsequently moved back to No. 25, while
also acquiring the No. 33 draft spot, by sending the No. 23 choice to
Minnesota.

New York, which plucked forward Obi Toppin with its own pick at No. 8, used
the No. 25 draft position to add guard help in Kentucky's Immanuel Quickley.

As with the Pistons, the moves gave the needy Knicks, who rated in the bottom
13 in offensive efficiency at four different positions last season, help at
multiple spots.

New York later dealt its acquired No. 33 pick, University of Minnesota center
Daniel Oturu, to the Clippers for a 2023 second-round pick.

--The Thunder, who began the draft with one first-round slot (No. 25), also
had a busy night, making moves that resulted in the selection of Serbian
forward Aleksej Pokusevski at No. 17 while also acquiring guard Danny Green
from the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Green deal was consummated first, with the Thunder reportedly dealing
high-scoring backup guard Dennis Schroeder to the Lakers for Green and the No.
28 draft spot.

Oklahoma City then packaged the No. 28 pick with guard Ricky Rubio and its own
pick at No. 25 in order to entice the Timberwolves to part with their No. 17
pick, which the Thunder turned into Pokusevski.

Oklahoma City had acquired Rubio in a trade with Phoenix reported earlier in
the week, one in which the Suns received Chris Paul and Abdel Nader in
exchange for Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a protected
2022 first-round pick.

Green wasn't a Thunder player for long. Before draft's end, he was redirected
to Philadelphia along with Terrance Ferguson for Al Horford, Vasilije Micic,
the No. 34 pick on Wednesday (French point guard Theo Maledon) and a 2025
first-rounder.

--New Orleans moved into Milwaukee's No. 24 draft position as part of the
previously reported trade that saw Jrue Holiday and the No. 60 pick head to
the Bucks in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, the No. 24 pick on
Wednesday, first-round selections in 2025 and 2027 and the right to swap
first-round draft slots in 2024 and 2026.

The Pelicans used the 24th pick to take shooting guard RJ Hampton, who played
last season in New Zealand, to give themselves a complete redo in the
backcourt with the earlier selection at No. 13 of Alabama point guard Kira
Lewis Jr.

--The Boston Celtics had been talked about as being a potential draft-shaker
with three first-round picks, but they wound up keeping two (Vanderbilt
forward Aaron Nesmith at No. 14 and Oregon point guard Payton Pritchard at No.
26) before dealing No. 30, acquired last year from Phoenix, to the Memphis
Grizzlies for two future second-round picks.

The Grizzlies completed the first round by taking TCU guard Desmond Bane at
No. 30.

--Field Level Media