So whichever team has him, OKC or Detroit, would have to commit to signing him to a max deal in the next calendar year. And Detroit simply isn't on the timeline where having someone like Shai on max money makes sense. Same goes for OKC, really, which is why I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to deal him for a top 4 pick in this draft-- or trade the #6 and Shai for Cade. (Or, as you said, use their assets to make moves, sign Shai to the max, and try to start genuinely pushing for playoff runs in the next 2ish years.)

I think it's a pretty fair deal... but it's not really a deal that makes sense for a team like Detroit that's looking realistically to be bad for at *least* another two seasons. And they have zero money on the books after 2022/23-- you can tell where their timeline is. They want to let Cade and the young core cook. And if they think Shai's upside is All-Star but Cade's upside is Top 10 in the NBA kinda guy... then the 6th pick in this draft just isn't enough of a sweetener imo. Detroit's looking for the highest potential possible dudes with their lotto picks-- that's why they gambled with guys like Hayes and Sekou when there were more NBA ready dudes available.

I just chatted with Jim from the Three Man Weave on a new NBA Draft episode of 2.1 Seconds to Madness (cheap plug), and we tried to name draft prospects of the last ten drafts that we'd definitely have taken before Cade. We settled on Zion and AD... and that's it. He's just such a special dude, so well-rounded, so elite at so many things, not bad at really anything.

And I love Shai-- and I agree, Shai can definitely be an All-Star once he's on a good team. But yeah, for Detroit, who isn't looking to truly make moves until three seasons from now (unless Cade absolutely crushes from Day 1, not impossible), you gotta go for the superstar upside.