The Detroit Pistons made their first pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, selecting Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier with the No. 37 overall pick in the second round Thursday, June 26, at Barclays Center in New York.
The 6-foot-4 senior averaged 18 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.9 steals in his final season with the Vols, gaining a reputation as a clutch shooter. He knocked down 40.2% of his 687 3-point attempts during his five-year college career, making him one of the surest bets in the draft to be able to space the floor. Lanier worked out for the Pistons on June 2.
The Pistons entered Thursday’s second round eying the best player available on the board.
“We have our qualities that we鈥檙e looking for 鈥 high character, hard working and competitive,” Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said earlier this week. “Size is important throughout the league. As we鈥檝e looked at that pick, there鈥檚 a lot of wings that are intriguing. There鈥檚 some bigs that are intriguing and there鈥檚 some guards that can shoot the ball that are intriguing as well. I think we鈥檒l find a player we like at that number.”
The Pistons now look forward to Monday, June 30, when they will be allowed to negotiate with outside free agents for the first time beginning at 6 p.m. They will be allowed to sign players starting July 6 at 12:01 p.m.
Langdon has signaled the team wants to bring back its veteran free agents 鈥 Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schro虉der.
“If we can keep some of the guys that we have as part of this run, some of the vets, that would be great,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e know they鈥檙e going to get interest from other teams as well. As we look to keep them, we鈥檒l also have to have backup options as well if they choose to go somewhere else for a deal that we can鈥檛 match, or a deal that we can鈥檛 get to. We鈥檇 like to get those guys back but we鈥檒l be prepared to have to go another direction.鈥
This story will be updated.
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