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Clippers use Pistons' pick to draft former Pistons blogger (and Ohio star) Jason Preston

If Jason Preston ever wished to be a Detroit Pistons draft pick, a finger on a monkey's paw might have just curled somewhere.

Using a pick acquired from the Detroit Pistons, the Los Angeles Clippers traded for the rights to Preston, the 33rd overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, completing the Ohio star's incredible rise from sports blogger to NBA player.

More specifically, Preston was a Pistons blogger, for the fan blog Piston Powered, where you can still read many of his posts. Preston was a high schooler then, but not exactly what you would call a future NBA player.

As Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel documented, the teenager, a bench player at Tennessee's Believe Prep Academy, only landed an Ohio scholarship offer after posting his highlight reel to Twitter. Ohio bit, and saw him make an immediate impact as a freshman before rising to a first-team All-MAC player and leading Ohio over defending champion Virginia in the NCAA tournament.

In his junior year, Preston averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. That playmaking was enough to entice the Clippers to add him alongside Keon Johnson and Brandon Boston Jr. To get the pick, the Clippers sent a second-round pick they acquired in a trade for Luke Kennard from the Pistons, per ESPN's Zach Lowe.

Now, Preston joins a Clippers team expected to again be a title contender next season. It might have come with a twist, but that's going full circle.

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