The Detroit Pistons have the 21st pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, which is less than a week away, and Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie is a dangerous scorer who already worked out for the Motown squad
Now that the 2026 NBA Draft is less than a week away, there seems to be a bit more clarity around who will be available for the Detroit Pistons at No. 21 overall, but this is also prime time for pre-draft smokescreens. Unforeseen fluctuation is a part of every draft, but the Pistons are in a rather favorable spot at the pivot point between the mid-to-late first round after acquiring a pick swap with the Minnesota Timberwolves back at the Trade Deadline.
With the draft on the horizon, Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon has a chance to address what ailed Detroit during the postseason after their second round exit. In the playoffs, the Pistons continued to struggle from three-point range and Cade Cunningham was isolated as the only reliable creator in the half-court, but Detroit also has to balance the reality that 15-year NBA vet Tobias Harris isn’t getting any younger even if they decide to bring their starting power forward back. So, the Pistons have a couple options to sort through in terms of the direction they’ll take, but perimeter shooting seems to be a focus based on pre-draft evaluations.
Along those lines, the Pistons brought in Stanford freshman guard Ebuka Okorie for a workout ahead of the June 23 draft, and he’s a dynamic 6-1, 186-pound scoring point guard who seems to be rising in first round projections. Last year, Okorie started in all 31 games as a Cardinal while putting up 23.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in his first and only season at the college level.
Clearly, Okorie didn’t need long to adjust to the pace of ACC basketball, and the Stanford point guard registered a respectable 35.4% from three-point range with a 83.2% mark from the free throw line. By year’s end, Okorie was named as an AP All-America Honorable Mention and was selected to the All-ACC First Team as well, so the soon-to-be rookie collected his fair share of accolades while at Stanford.
Based on recent reports, the Pistons are continuing to look into Okorie’s playing history even after hosting the prolific scorer for a pre-draft workout, which is a sign that he impressed during the in-person evaluation.
On tape, Okorie proved himself to be a fluid dribbler who is explosive and shifty enough to work his way around the court in an expedient fashion at times or methodically in other instances. As a creator, Okorie’s shifty movement allows him to change the angle on entry passes, and he can also work for his shot and finish through contact with crafty adjustments near the rim.
As a shooter, Okorie clearly knows when to take an open look from long-range with nearly six three-point attempts per game at Stanford. If the Pistons were to use the 21st pick on the freshman, Okorie would allow for Daniss Jenkins to slide to the two more often, which is a look that Detroit turned to against the Cleveland Cavs in the second round. The Pistons need to become a more dangerous long-range team next season, and Okorie would certainly help space the floor if Jenkins does spend a bit more time off-ball moving forward.
Okorie was recently invited to attend the draft at the NBA's green room with other prospects who are expected to potentially fall within the lottery range, so it is obvious that the Stanford guard's stock is trending up at a critical juncture. Right now, the Pistons only have 12 players signed to pro contracts for the coming season, but five of those players are guards. Detroit is expected to re-sign Jalen Duren with a significant pay bump attached, and the Pistons are more than likely to reach an agreement for Harris to return as well. That takes care of 14 roster spots with this year's first round pick making 15, but Okorie's addition would allow for some additional optionality in the backcourt. Jenkins and even Marcus Sasser played off-ball at times last year, and Chaz Lanier projects more as a shooting guard as well, so Okorie's presence could turn the guard competition in the Motor City up another notch entering next season.
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