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League sources say that the Pistons' Isaiah Stewart is not merely available but outright bracing for a trade that sends him elsewhere this summer as part of any move that the Pistons make to bolster their shooting and playmaking depth. I'm told veteran forward Tobias Harris, by contrast, is a player Detroit is determined to retain after his solid postseason run. Sources say that the Bucks, furthermore, are Stewart fans.
League sources say Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart is available. The Pistons, in search of additional shooting and playmakers, appear ready to rely on seventh-year big man Paul Reed in an increased role. Stewart has two years and a combined $30 million left on his deal (team option in the second season). Detroit, which is believed to be among the suitors for Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves if he makes it to unrestricted free agency, is also said to be interested in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Isaiah Joe.
What players do you watch and model your game after? Keba Keita: I watch a lot of players, but I don’t really try to copy them. If anything, I just really like the IQ, like how to read the game really is something that I feel like is going to help me a lot. Because I really play with energy and effort, so there’s a lot of players that I watch. I like Draymond Green a lot. When it comes to comparison, I think the role that I would fit in right now in the NBA, it would be kind of like [Clint] Capela and Isaiah Stewart. So I see myself playing those roles in the NBA, but in comparison, I feel like we’re different players.
Do you anticipate Beef Stew being used as a trade chip this offseason? He was unplayable in playoffs despite health according to trajan, JB - @dylan_goetz “Anticipate” is a strong word. If I had to put money on it, I’d bet on Isaiah Stewart returning next season. But will his name come up in trade talks? I’m sure of it. He has two years and $30 million remaining on his contract – a very reasonable figure for one of the league’s top rim protectors. Postseason performance aside, Stewart is a coveted player. Last season overall was his best, setting a new career high in blocks per game (1.6) while averaging under 23 minutes anchoring the No. 2 defense in the league. His outside shooting, while not as prevalent the last two seasons, is still an asset to his game.
Hunter Patterson: J.B. on whether Jalen Duren got rolling in Game 6 because Stew and Reed played early: “I’m not sure if it was the timing of those guys’ minutes. We were able to find more space for him to operate. … I think he found something that he liked and that he can replicate.”
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Hunter Patterson: J.B. on Isaiah Stewart’s limited minutes: “Depending on the feel of the game we give guys those opportunities based on what their role is for us. Stew’s done what we’ve asked him to do. It’s just seemed like in those games we’ve needed a spark and P Reed has that spark ability.”
Omari Sankofa II: JB denied that Stew is dealing with a physical issue. On his minutes decrease: “Stew’s done what we’ve asked him to do. It just seemed like in those games we needed a spark and P Reed has that spark ability.”
Hunter Patterson: J.B. on balancing Stew’s minutes with Duren’s: “It’s the decision of, in the moment, who’s doing what with what pairings and what groups. We go back and study the numbers of the groups that play well together, the lineups that play well together and manipulate it around that.”
Duren credits Isaiah Stewart, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward known as one of the league's most fearsome players, with indoctrinating him into the Pistons style. From their earliest workouts together four years ago, Stewart banged Duren whenever he could, bringing an edge to every possession. Over time, their competition formed a tag team built on force. "We battle, man," Stewart says. "We still battle every day. We push each other and when you have a stablemate like that and you are working eight months a year, you grow a bond. You grow a brotherhood."
The independent arbitrator the league used to look at Dante Cunningham’s case determined that his punctured lung was a “condition,” a league source told The Athletic last week, rather than a basketball injury, leading to his winning the appeal. He is now healthy. And dealing. (No, I have not forgotten that Anthony Edwards, currently gimping it out for the Wolves against Denver on the knee that kept him from also hitting the 65-game minimum, had his appeal denied.) It’s one thing to dominate a January game against a tanking team — or just one that stinks. To do it under the brightest lights and best competition, in the playoffs, brings a special aura to players who orchestrate such high-stakes games to their own syncopation. “For us, it uplifts us, makes us go with him,” forward Isaiah Stewart said. “For the other team, it’s just a problem for them that they have to figure out. They changed their coverages (on Cunningham) and stuff, which helped free us up and allowed us to make plays.”
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Oh No He Didn't: Isaiah Stewart: "That's who I am. I don't gotta fake it. I'm cut from that cloth. I don't feel that weight because it's just who I am and I enjoy carrying the identity for this team because that's why I was drafted here for"
Isaiah Stewart:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 23, 2026
"That's who I am. I don't gotta fake it. I'm cut from that cloth. I don't feel that weight because it's just who I am and I enjoy carrying the identity for this team because that's why I was drafted here for" pic.twitter.com/uNvHbQJ1fy
Omari Sankofa II: Isaiah Stewart at shootaround: “We’ve gotta take care of home.”
The combination of Isaiah Stewart and Duren on the interior has created one of the league's most formidable combos at the rim too. As a team, the Pistons held opponents to just 54.6% shooting during the regular season, third in the league behind Oklahoma City and Boston -- the past two NBA champions. "We take super, super pride in it," Duren told ESPN. "My job as an anchor of the defense is to hold it down. And I take pride in it because we're a defense-first mindset team." Duren's chops shine through in his pick-and-roll defense. According to GeniusIQ, the Pistons allow 0.92 points per opponent pick when Duren is involved, the 14th-best mark in the league.
Isaiah Stewart has a close relationship with and regularly chats with former Bad Boys enforcer (and the Pistons' longtime radio voice) Rick Mahorn, who travels with the team. No stranger to scuffling, few are as qualified as Mahorn to help Stewart navigate his job. "He knows guys are trying to dupe, a lot of guys are baiting me," Stewart said. "He encourages me not to get into any fights. He encourages me to be the bigger man every time to use them to my advantage because he’s been in that situation of being in brawls and fights."
