The Detroit Pistons had one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, finishing with 60 wins and the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but the offseason is already getting complicated.
Detroit Free Press reporter Omari Sankofa II dropped a quiet bombshell on Friday, June 5: “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.”
Stewart has evolved into a reliable role player and physical presence for Detroit, but he was a complete non-factor in the second round against the Cavaliers on both ends, and that’s what shifted the conversation.
Detroit already has significant depth in the paint, with Jalen Duren, Stewart, and Paul Reed all logging big minutes, and Reed actually outplayed Stewart during the Pistons’ postseason run.
The math doesn’t work, and if Stewart could be a primary trade asset with the Pistons seeking a major addition to support Cunningham, suddenly moving “Beef Stew” makes all kinds of sense.
At just 25 years old and entering his prime, there’s very real untapped potential here for any team willing to build a role around Stewart and his skill set. And for Stewart, he could land on a team that could actually use him in the playoffs, something Detroit clearly struggled to do.
Here are three landing spots that might make perfect sense.
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The Lakers have been openly searching for a starting center, shooting, and bench depth heading into the 2026–27 season, and the internal options just aren’t cutting it. After Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein outplayed Deandre Ayton and the Lakers’ frontcourt in the playoffs, it has become clear the team needs another reset on the interior.
Stewart is everything Ayton isn’t: physical, relentless, and a genuine deterrent at the rim. A deal built around Ayton’s expiring deal plus a pick gives Detroit the cap flexibility they need while handing Luka Doncic a defensive anchor he’s never had in L.A.
Boston’s championship window is still open, but its frontcourt depth has always been a quiet concern. Nikola Vucevic did nothing after coming over from Chicago at the trade deadline, and Neemias Queta was their best interior option in the playoffs. Stewart has already been floated as a possible target for the Celtics, and his $15 million-per-year tag makes him a plug-and-play addition without blowing up Boston’s roster.
He’d thrive in a reduced, defined role, protecting the paint, setting screens, switching, and doing the dirty work, exactly what contenders pay a premium for but rarely find this cheap.
The San Antonio Spurs just exposed everything wrong with OKC’s frontcourt. Holmgren and Hartenstein combined for just 11 points and nine rebounds in the final elimination game as the Thunder’s interior was neutralized by one player, Victor Wembanyama. The series proved that OKC lacks the necessary physicality down around the rim to stay competitive in the Western Conference.
Now, the Thunder are expected to decline Hartenstein’s $28.5 million option, too expensive for a non-star center on an already maxed-out roster. Stewart slots in at half the price and twice the toughness.
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