The Detroit Pistons are rooting for the Minnesota Timberwolves to lose, but not too much, as they have the right to swap 2026-NBA Draft first round picks under certain conditions.
The Pistons picked up the pick swap in a three-team trade on Feb. 3 involving the Pistons, Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls, with Jaden Ivey going to the rival Bulls and the Pistons receiving Dario Saric (who was later waived) and Kevin Huerter. (In a salary dump, Minnesota sent veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr. to Chicago.)
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The Pistons enter their game with the T’wolves on Saturday (5:30 p.m., ABC/FanDuel Sports Network Detroit) owning the No. 28 overall pick; Minnesota sits at No. 22.
Detroit Pistons guard Kevin Huerter (27) shoots in the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
The potential pick swap, however is protected from spots 1-19, meaning for the Pistons to want to swap, Minnesota will need to finish with a better record than 19 other NBA teams, but worse than Detroit.
The Pistons (52-20) sit atop the Eastern Conference, with a magic number of five to clinch the top seed in this spring’s playoffs
Detroit is on pace for roughly 60 wins and close to clinching their first Central Division title since the 2007-08 season (which was also the last time the franchise won a playoof series).
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The Timberwolves (45-28) sit in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference at No. 5.
Pistons schedule, upcoming games
Full Pistons 82-game schedule for the 2025-26 regular season. Here are the next five games:
Saturday, March 28:Â at Minnesota Timberwolves
Monday, March 30:Â at Oklahoma City Thunder
Tuesday, March 31:Â vs. Toronto Raptors
Thursday, April 2:Â vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Saturday, April 4: at Philadelphia 76ers
Pistons beat writer Omari Sankofa II contributed reporting.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons’ 2026 draft pick tied to Timberwolves. Where they need to fall for it to be profitable