The Detroit Pistons swung a trade to create cap space to set up their next move as they pursue an upgrade at guard alongside Cade Cunningham.
The Pistons on Wednesday night agreed to trade Isaiah Stewart, their-longest tenured player, to the Memphis Grizzlies, a person with knowledge of the deal – granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly – confirmed to the Detroit Free Press.
The Pistons will receive the three second-rounders they sent to Memphis one night earlier in order to trade up four spots in the first round to select Stanford freshman guard Ebuka Okorie at No. 17 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The trade of Stewart is a table-setting move for the Pistons, who could be clearing cap space for a big acquisition in free agency. One target they’ve been connected to is Miami Heat guard Norman Powell, an unrestricted free agent who averaged 21.7 points and 2.5 assists in 58 games (52 starts) while shooting 38% from 3 last season as a first-time NBA All-Star. Powell, 33, is a career 39.6% shooter from 3.
Through six seasons, Stewart grew into one of the team’s top rim protectors and a core part of their identity. His physicality – and willingness to fight, literally – set the tone for the Pistons as they posted the NBA’s second-best defense last season.
He shed sweat and literal blood as he developed into the backbone of a team that more than quadrupled its win total in two seasons.
Stewart, 25, was half of the “Dawg Pound” duo with Jalen Duren, who developed into an All-NBA player in 2025-26. The Pistons had arguably the league’s deepest center rotation, but Stewart’s departure clears more playing time for Paul Reed, who has outperformed expectations when given the opportunity. He was their best big man against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and is on a nonguaranteed contract worth just $5.6 million.
With Duren, 22, set to sign an extension in restricted free agency, the Pistons are making a big financial commitment to their frontcourt. They need help on the offensive end, and moving forward without Stewart indicates the team’s priority to get better on that end of the floor less than a week before the free agency negotiation period opens Tuesday, June 30, at 6 p.m.
Minutes after the Stewart trade news, the Pistons acquired the No. 53 pick in the draft from the New York Knicks, 7-foot Virginia center Ugonna Onyenso. The 21-year-old from Owerri, Nigeria, averaged 6.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in just 18.6 minutes per game last season across 36 games.
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What Isaiah Stewart trade means for Detroit Pistons’ next move
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
