Pistons draft picks: 10 biggest misses

1. Darko Milicic, 2003, first round, second overall — There’s no question about this ranking because it could go down as one of the greatest draft misses for any team in any draft. The Pistons whiffed on the pick, with future Hall of Fame talent in Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade coming right after Milicic. In three seasons with the Pistons, Milicic averaged a miserable 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in 96 games — and was dubbed “The Human Victory Cigar” for his infrequent play.

2. Rodney White, 2001, first round, ninth overall — The Pistons went off the board by going after White, who only played four seasons in the NBA. Joe Johnson and Richard Jefferson, who had 17-year careers, were within the next four picks. White played only one season with the Pistons — posting 3.5 points in 16 games — before being traded to the Nuggets for a package including a 2003 first-round pick.

3. Brandon Knight, 2011, first round, eighth overall — In a draft that featured Kyrie Irving as the No. 1 pick — and plenty of misses in the top 10 — the Pistons went for a good point guard. The problem is they passed on Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler and Isaiah Thomas. Knight played for the Pistons for two seasons before going to the Bucks in a trade for Brandon Jennings.

4. Antoine Carr, 1983, first round, eighth overall — The Pistons expended a top-10 pick on a player who never played for them. Carr spent his first season playing in Italy and was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal for Dan Roundfield. Carr played 16 seasons in the NBA and had a solid career, but the Pistons didn’t get very much value out of it.

5. Austin Daye, 2009, first round, 15th overall — The Pistons were looking to build a contender, but spending a mid-round pick on Daye didn’t bear fruit. The first-rounders they passed on include Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Darren Collison and DeMarre Carroll. Daye averaged 5.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in his four seasons with the Pistons and didn’t have much success in the next three-plus seasons with the Grizzlies, Raptors, Spurs and Hawks.

6. Mateen Cleaves, 2000, first round, 14th overall — This wasn’t a premier draft and the only other point guard who made a splash from the first round was Michigan’s Jamal Crawford, who was the eighth overall pick. Cleaves played just one seasons for the Pistons before being traded to the Kings for Jon Barry and a 2003 first-round selection, which was used to take Carlos Delfino.

7. Korleone Young, 1998, second round, 40th overall — Every player out of high school wasn’t a guaranteed success and it’s tough to call a second-round pick a miss. Young, though, played in only three games in his NBA career — 15 minutes total — and notched a total of 13 points. Who was a better option? Cuttino Mobley, who played 11 years in the NBA and averaged 16 points, was the next pick by the Houston Rockets.

8. Fennis Dembo, 1988, second round, 30th overall — On the cusp of back-to-back NBA titles, the Pistons didn’t need big-time contributors and didn’t have a first-round pick. They went for Dembo, who played in 31 games in one season. What other options were in the second round? Try Vernon Maxwell and Steve Kerr. It’s not a draft that’s remembered fondly, but the Dembo pick wasn’t a good one.

9. Randolph Childress, 1995, first round, 19th overall — The Pistons picked Childress and traded him to Portland before the season in the Otis Thorpe deal. Less than two years later, they got him back in a trade for Stacey Augmon and was later waived in 1997. Childress played in only four games with the Pistons, averaging 2.5 points and 0.5 assists.