The Detroit Pistons announced that the club selected Osar Thompson with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Detroit has also agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to 25th overall pick, Marcus Sasser, as part of a larger, yet-to-be-concluded trade.
Thompson, 6-7, 215, averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 29.1 minutes across 20 games for the City Reapers of Overtime Elite in 2022-23. He was named Overtime Elite MVP and later named Finals MVP after averaging 21.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in the playoffs. In his second year in the league, Thompson led the City Reapers to a 14-1 regular season record and their first OTE championship while being named Player of the Week twice. The combo guard ranked second in the league in assists while collecting at least three steals seven times.
A native of Oakland, California, Thompson was named Broward County 5A Assistant Player of the Year at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to the Elite Extra, Thompson participated in the Overtime Team Basketball Tournament in July of 2022. Thompson was selected after selecting his twin brother, Amin, who finished fourth overall at Houston. Thompson’s older brother, Troy Thompson Jr., played collegiate basketball at Prairie View A&M and participated in training camp with the Stockton Kings.
Thompson is the Pistons’ fourth top-five pick since 1995 (Cady Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Darko Milicic) and third in the past three seasons.