Once again the basketball gods have punished the Detroit Pistons for being the worst team in the NBA.

This was the third time in four years that Detroit has had the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick, and outside of 2021, when the franchise won the NBA Draft Lottery and selected Cade Cunningham, it hasn’t been able to land a pick inside the top-three ever since.

By all accounts, talking to league executives, scouts and talent evaluators, the 2024 NBA Draft class is one of the least inspiring at the top in recent memory. There are concerns that whomever goes in the top-three spots won’t be worth the payday that comes with being the top choice over the duration of their rookie contract. There are concerns that whoever goes in that range could end up being as good as the players slotted to go in the late lottery. There are concerns that whoever goes in the top-three won’t be ready to contribute in a significant way immediately.

There are many around the NBA that I’ve talked to who see the No. 5 pick as the equivalent to the 10th to 12th pick in a normal draft class.

France’s Alexandre Sarr, the 19-year-old, 7-foot center out of the Australian National Basketball League appears to be the clubhouse leader to go No. 1 overall as of now. Names like Serbia’s Nikola Topić, Connecticut’s Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle, France’s Zaccharie Risacher and the G League Ignite’s Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland are all expected to be in the mix, too. While all are intriguing in their own right, Sarr isn’t even heralded like the top picks before him — not Cunningham, Paolo Banchero or Victor Wembanyama. Most people I’ve talked to see him comfortably below the likes of Evan Mobley, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith as a prospect.

With all that said, the Pistons should trade the No. 5 pick.

Read on to find out why.