Isaiah Stewart shared some honesty in a recent interview with Marc Spears of ESPN/Andscape.
Stewart, who was traded from the Detroit Pistons on draft night June 24 for three second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies, was blunt about the past year with the team that drafted him No. 16 overall in 2020.
“That series didn’t go good,” Stewart said of the seven-game conference semifinals loss to Cleveland. “I didn’t play as much. I just knew it was my last game as a Piston.”
Stewart was a big part of the Pistons’ turnaround from the worst team in the NBA from 2019-23 to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26 and 60-22 record.
Spears asked at what point Stewart thought he “might not be in Detroit forever.”
“I would say this past season,” Stewart said. “I was in a situation where you would work so hard and you have a goal and you’re putting your all into something and you’re not able to reap that kind of reward, it’d make you question yourself, stress yourself out because you know the passion, the love you have for the game. That’s when me and my wife were just talking and we both felt that this may be our last season here in Detroit.”
Stewart said his agent thought he might get traded to the Washington Wizards or the Los Angeles Lakers, but that Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon told Stewart’s agent the Pistons had an offer from Memphis he couldn’t refuse. The Pistons received the same three second-round picks they had dealt to Memphis the night before in order to trade up from No. 21 to No. 17 in the first round to draft Stanford point guard Ebuka Okorie.
Stewart, 25, said his emotions were just thankful to be somewhere he’s really wanted and a fanbase that has already showed him love and respect.
“I’d rather be where I’m wanted than headed back into a situation where it’s not the best,” he said.
It’s unclear exactly what Stewart is referring to, but his playing time decreased under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff to 19.9 minutes per game in 2024-25 and ticked up to 22.7 minutes last season. Stewart averaged 26 minutes per game in his first four NBA seasons.
However, Stewart played just 11.8 minutes per game in 14 playoffs games this past spring, averaging four points, 2.4 rebounds and one block – that includes a historic eight blocks in 17 minutes in a Game 4 loss in the first round against Orlando.
But Stewart’s play fell off drastically after that game, and he was surpassed a handful of times – as was starting center Jalen Duren – in the rotation by third-stringer Paul Reed.
Stewart argued with several coaches after being subbed out during Game 7 against Cleveland at Little Caesars Arena, a 125-94 embarrassment to end an excellent season.
Stewart, who averaged 10 points and five rebounds with excellent defense in 58 games last season, said he had so much genuine love for the city of Detroit and takes pride in bringing an identity, toughness and winning back to the Pistons.
Stewart seemed genuine in his excitement to join the rebuilding Grizzlies, who just selected power forward Cam Boozer at No. 3 overall in June, and also have center Zach Edey.
“I’m excited, it’s a great opportunity,” Stewart said. “It’s a lot of hungry young guys over there. I look forward to just doing everything I can to help this rebuild.”
Stewart is owed $15 million this season, with a team option for $15 million in 2027-28 to complete the four-year, $60 million contract he signed with the Pistons in July 2023.
For now, Reed is the Pistons’ starting center, with Duren and the franchise in a contract standoff two months before the start of the regular season.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Isaiah Stewart takes parting shot at Pistons, ‘not the best situation’
Reporting by Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
