The Ivey trade, six months later
Twitter melted down in February. By May it's a clean Langdon win — Huerter spaces the floor and the Minnesota swap turned into pick #21.
The take
Twitter melted down in February. By May the trade reads as a clear Langdon win: Huerter is spacing the floor, Saric was waived without ever suiting up for Detroit, and the Minnesota pick swap is officially #21 — the asset our entire draft is built around. The room knew what it was doing.
Langdon flipped a redundant guard into a rotation piece and a seven-spot jump in the draft. That's the job description.
It thinned the bench creation pool. Jenkins has stepped up, but losing Ivey's downhill burst still shows up in stalled half-court possessions against set defenses.
Without that pick swap we draft at #28 with no realistic shot at a rotation wing. #21 puts Swain, Stirtz, Carr, and Lendeborg in range.
Names this debate touches
The board moves with the call. Here's who's in range if it breaks each way.
Dailyn Swain
Switchable two-way wing with elite athletic tools and a complete junior season. Plus perimeter defender.
Combine Day 1 — shooting drills came back inconsistent rep-to-rep. No Ceilings flagged a hitch on the off-the-dribble loadup and the off-catch motion looking worse in person than on tape. Doesn't kill the eval — defense, slashing, switchability are still real — but the starter-wing swing skill (the jumper) just got harder.
Switchable wing — exactly the archetype this front office covets next to Ausar.
Bennett Stirtz
Heady senior lead guard who captained Iowa's Elite Eight run. Plus pick-and-roll operator, smart decisions, capable shooter.
Combine Day 1 winner. 37.5" max vert was the sleeper-athleticism flag nobody had on their bingo card. Shooting drills were the headline — every rep identical, all-net, only guard who looked like he hadn't broken a sweat by the end. Measurements (6'2.5 barefoot, 6'6 wingspan, 186 lb) check out.
Plug-in backup point guard behind Cade — keeps the second unit organized, doesn't need touches, and lets Ausar/Ron stay on-ball when they're out there together.
Cameron Carr
Athletic 6'5" wing scorer leading Baylor — movement shooting, vertical pop, and credible shot-blocking on the perimeter.
No combine or workout buzz yet — check back closer to the draft.
Bullseye fit. Movement shooting + length on the wing is Detroit's #1 roster need.
Yaxel Lendeborg
Michigan combo forward, projected late lottery to mid-first. Stat-stuffer who dominated the AAC at UAB and transferred to Michigan. Rebounds, passes, defends multiple positions, and has a developing jumper.
No combine or workout buzz yet — check back closer to the draft.
Switchable connector four who rebounds, passes, and defends 3–5 — slides next to Cade, Ausar, and Duren without forcing minutes.
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