Central Notes: Pistons, Prince, Bulls, Cavaliers

At 19-43, the Pistons currently are tied with the Magic for the third-best lottery odds in the NBA. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic wonders if Detroit is willing to go all-in on playing youngsters – including projects like Deividas Sirvydis – over veterans in its quest to maximize the team’s lottery odds as the season winds down.

Edwards is hopeful that the Pistons will do their darnedest to avoid too many more victories over superior teams, like their Monday 100-86 defeat of the Hawks sans star point guard Trae Young, to maximize their odds of landing a potentially transformative top-four pick.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

• Though Cavaliers forward Taurean Prince only underwent season-ending ankle surgery this past Tuesday, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets that the issue is relatively long-term. The swingman considered surgery to address the issue even prior to the start of the 2020/21 season, per Fedor.
• Chicago’s United Center, home to the Bulls and the NHL’s Blackhawks, will begin to welcome fans back for in-door game attendance at 25% capacity on May 7, per a team press release. Hundreds of friends and family of players will begin being permitted to attend games on May 7. Among other precautions, fans will be required to take a COVID-19 test 12 hours prior to tip-off.
• With a 21-41 record, the Cavaliers are currently the No. 13 seed in the East and are bound for the 2021 draft lottery in what looks to be a stacked year. Kelsey Russo and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic appraise the various draft scenarios and trade options available to Cleveland as it heads into the offseason. The Athletic’s duo also considers which players among their intriguing roster that includes Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, rookie Isaac Okoro, and Jarrett Allen are keepers and which could be more valuable in trades.