This season will determine the NBA futures of Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes – and how we remember the Detroit Pistons’ 2020 draft. When the Detroit Pistons hired Troy Weaver as general manager in June 2020, the franchise was in turmoil, to say the least. Former franchise center Andre Drummond had just been shipped to the Cleveland Cavaliers for peanuts, and the team was mostly void of encouraging young talent – or talent, period – heading into the 2020 NBA Draft. During the lowest period in the Pistons’ storied history, almost any move Weaver made would have been viewed as a victory as the team searched for direction, despite entering the draft with only the seventh overall pick. Instead of ending the night with the lone lottery selection, however, Weaver was quick to pull off moves in order to build the roster in his vision as quickly as possible. The departures of Luke Kennard and Christian Wood, the roster’s two best remaining players, headlined the night as Weaver added an additional two first-round picks. Walking away from the draft with Killian Hayes, a project player consistently linked to Detroit throughout the draft process, along with the additional foundation of Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, and Saben Lee, was lauded as a massive win for Weaver both locally and nationally. Still firmly in a transition phase, these four rookies were given long leashes as Weaver and former head coach Dwane Casey patiently waited to see what the new faces of the team could provide in a lost season. Affectionally coined the “Core Four”, the quartet of rookies offered mixed results. However, Saddiq Bey’s hot shooting and Isaiah Stewart’s Rodman-like hustle was enough to offset Killian Hayes’ offensive struggles – for the time being. Even Saben Lee seemed to be making more of an impact than the lottery point guard. Knowing Hayes was a raw prospect, the early struggles were mostly chalked up to growing pains. For some, that was not good enough reasoning for the disappointing campaign as other guards selected after the Frenchman, including Cole Anthony, Tyrese Maxey, and Tyrese Haliburton turned in superior rookie seasons. Fast forward four years later, and it’s evident that this draft class simply didn’t pan out the way most hoped or expected. Saben Lee never proved to be more than an end-of-bench guard, eventually being traded with Kelly Olynyk to the Utah Jazz for Bojan Bogdanovic. In a move that is still hurting the injury-ravaged Pistons this season, Saddiq Bey was questionably shipped to Atlanta in a three-team trade for James Wiseman. Bey seemed to be the prize of this group early in his career, but his shooting was too inconsistent and he was asked to play out of character last season with Cade Cunningham sidelined. With Cunningham’s return, Bey may have found more of the success he had during his two seasons. Instead, Bey is shooting 40 percent from three playing next to star playmakers in Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Meanwhile, Wiseman has failed to show anything positive in his short time on the court this season, playing sparingly even with nearly half the roster sidelined. Those four second-round picks sent to Golden State are looking much better. 
With James Wiseman making eight figures while glued to the bench, the verdict on the Saddiq Bey trade should be closed – if it wasn’t already. (Image: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) As the only two remaining players from the class, Isaiah Stewart and – surprisingly – Killian Hayes are left to salvage Troy Weaver’s first draft class. Hayes has failed to break out despite the occasional eye-popping performance and being a staple of starting lineups in recent years. Hayes has continued to hold down the starting spot in the backcourt this season next to Cunningham, but his long leash may finally be coming to an end with the quick emergence of Marcus Sasser. Hayes still shows glimpses of what made him a lottery pick but, with the influx of guard talent, Hayes would need to really prove himself to warrant receiving a rookie extension – and he knows it. Scoring has never been Hayes’ strong suit, but his nine field goal attempts per game are second only to last season’s Cunningham-less campaign as he tries to prove his value as an offensive weapon. The conversation has unfortunately closed as to whether he was worth a lottery pick, and it will take a solid prove-it year to keep his NBA career safe. On the other hand, after signing a lucrative four-year, $64 million deal, Stewart became the first Piston to receive a rookie extension since Jason Maxiell in 2008. “Beef Stew” has proven to be a valuable asset on both sides, continuing to be a versatile defender and relentless rebounder while showing better touch around the rim, as he’s shot 64 percent within three feet of the rim so far this season. Undoubtedly Stewart’s most important improvement has been his early three-point shooting success, residing at 44.4 percent for the season. Stewart won’t be a 40 percent shooter from deep for the rest of the season, but becoming a respected outside threat would do wonders for his role and the success of the team. He’ll have to at least keep his shooting around league average to remain a viable starter, something to monitor as the season goes on. Even then, he may still best be suited as a bench big once the roster is competitive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsfWn2B_yPY At best, the Pistons will have two rotation-worthy players from the 2020 NBA Draft when it’s all said and done. Isaiah Stewart could surpass his $16 million annual value and Killian Hayes could play himself towards a modest extension and a backup role for the foreseeable future. At worst, Stewart proves to be nothing more than an expensive bench big and Hayes finds himself out of the league. Regardless of the outcome, this is judgement season for Detroit’s 2020 draft class. Source: https://palaceofpistons.com/2023/11/13/ ... 020-draft/