With just barely a week away from the 2017 NBA Draft, teams are getting in their final evaluations and mock drafts of players, while the draft hopefuls get in their final workouts to impress teams.
The Detroit Pistons held workouts on Tuesday for various players entered into the draft. Among them was former Michigan point guard Derrick Walton Jr., who just finished up a brilliant four-year career with the Wolverines.
There’s little denying what Walton can bring to a team, all one has to do is watch how Michigan finished the 2016-17 season and see Walton leading that late-season push. He is confident in his ability and obviously would love to see and hear his name called by his hometown team.
“I can shoot it. I can run a team. I compete. I can rebound. I lead. Just a lot of things (NBA teams) say they like about me.”
“I’ve got a really good feeling about it all,” Walton said. “People that represent me tell me anything is open from anywhere. A lot of teams with picks or looking to get picks is all in the cards for me. Pretty much finishing the process up as strong as possible, taking each and every day and doing what I can and not worry about what I can’t control.”
“I was an avid fan. Chauncey was a guy that I liked a lot,” Walton said after taking part in Tuesday’s draft workout for the Pistons. “Being from the city, being 45 minutes away, it’s always knowledge of this program, this organization. They’ve done great things. The banner speaks for itself.”
Walton put together a solid and decorated career in Ann Arbor. The very versatile 6-1, 190-pound point guard out of Chandler Park Academy became the only player in program history this past season to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists. He started in all but one of his 127 games played for Michigan and is also the proud owner of one of five triple-doubles in Michigan hoops annals (10 pts, 11 reb, 13 ast | 12.19.15).
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Despite having worked out for roughly a third of the league’s teams, it remains a coin flip on whether or not Walton will get drafted. Many draft outlets list him outside the top 60 prospects, in a draft where there’s only two rounds and 60 selections overall.
Walton was just one of a handful of draft hopefuls in attendance on Tuesday working out for the Pistons. Here are some of the other notable names.
North Carolina's Tony Bradley headlines today's #Pistons workout .. also 2 Michigan prep PGs, Morris & Walton pic.twitter.com/QwiKvaPGK6
— Keith Langlois (@Keith_Langlois) June 13, 2017
Former North Carolina big man Tony Bradley, amazingly enough, is the first one-and-done player for the Tar Heels in the last decade. DraftExpress currently pegs the 6-10, 250-pound 19-year-old as a late-first or early-second round selection.
Of all the names listed, Bradley has the biggest upside of being drafted by far.
Tony Bradley from North Carolina says he's surprising teams with his outside shooting range. pic.twitter.com/9zLkR0mspC
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) June 13, 2017
There was an omission from that pre-draft workout list on Tuesday. Former Iowa State point guard and Flint native Monte Morris was not in attendance. He was replaced by former Maryland guard Melo Trimble.
Trimble on the #Pistons squad: "They're a young team and they're getting better."
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) June 13, 2017
Detroit only has one pick entering next Thursday’s NBA Draft at No. 12 overall, barring any draft-day trades. DraftExpress’ latest mock draft has the Pistons selecting former Louisville small forward Donovan Mitchell, who spoke highly of the Pistons back in mid-May.
It remains unclear what the Pistons are going to do this off-season and look like come the season opener. There have been reports lately that they may even consider trading the No. 12 pick for a “win now” type of veteran. There’s also reports that they are exploring the trade market for both Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.
The Pistons also have a pair of unrestricted free agents in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock, meaning they can match an offer made to either player out on the market should they choose to do so.
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