As many expected heading into the offseason, Isaiah Stewart is no longer a Detroit Piston. On the second day of the NBA Draft, the Pistons traded beloved big man to the Memphis Grizzlies for three second-round picks, the same ones they had traded to Memphis a day ago to move up and select Ebuka Okorie.
This ends Stewart's six-year tenure in Detroit, where he established himself not only as a fan favorite but also as one of the best backup bigs in the league. After making a name for himself as an energy guy early in his career, Beef Stew gradually became one of the most underrated defenders in the league.
Stewart's physicality, grit, and rim protection will certainly be missed. However, this move opens up a ton of opportunities for the Pistons ahead of free agency and the trade market.
More Pistons moves are coming after the Isaiah Stewart trade
This trade was clearly financially motivated. The Pistons cleared $15 million in cap space. By not getting any players back, they managed to create a $15 million trade exception.
This gives them significant flexibility for the rest of their offseason moves. As cap expert Yossi Gozlan pointed out on X, Detroit can now go in a number of different directions.
Before they have to re-sign Jalen Duren, the Pistons can use $20.6 million in cap space. Many speculated that this could be used to sign Norman Powell in free agency. They could even create more cap space by moving on from Duncan Robinson or Caris LeVert. This would allow them to add even more offensive firepower.
This also allows them to be more aggressive in the trade market. As Gozlan pointed out, the Pistons can even expand the Stewart trade and take back up to $24 million in salary for him. Then, they can still bring back Duren and Harris, while having access to a $15 million mid-level exception.
Stewart's departure shouldn't rule out a big swing for Trey Murphy. Yes, Stewart had some trade value and was a player the Pelicans would have had some interest in. But a similar trade can be constructed by using a combination of LeVert, Robinson, and Holland.
This all depends on how willing the Pistons ownership is to pay the luxury tax. There is a chance this was all done to be able to pay Duren and Harris without going deep into the tax.
After listening to GM Trajan Langdon all summer, however, this seems unlikely. There is a clear appetite to improve and try to contend next season. Pistons fans should expect at least one solid free agent signing like Powell and another addition to bolster the forward depth.
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