Isaiah Stewart Doubtful to Return After Right Knee Injury vs. Pacers

Isaiah Stewart is doubtful to return to Wednesday night's game against the Indiana Pacers with a right knee injury, the Memphis Grizzlies announced.

All 6 of his points came in the paint. Stewart went 3-of-4, picked up 2 fouls, grabbed 1 rebound, and was a minus-2 before the update.

Indiana scored 32 in the first quarter and led by eight after one. Memphis won the second quarter 28-22 and went to the locker room down 54-52.

Seven minutes, 18 seconds. That is how far into the Grizzlies' 132-123 preseason win over the Atlanta Hawks Stewart got before his leg buckled.

Memphis called it a moderate left ankle sprain and set a minimum of two weeks. He sat for the rest of the preseason and for the Oct. 21 opener, a 123-103 win over the Utah Jazz.

"You gotta have heart, and you gotta be okay with putting your body on the line," Stewart said at his first Memphis media day.

Grit and grind was the phrase he brought up at that same podium.

"It don't happen overnight," Stewart explained. "It's something that's got to be built up day by day, and it's a goal you've got to work towards. I feel like we have the right group to do that, and I'm looking forward to continuing the build."

The Grizzlies were 6-1 coming in. New Orleans beat them 135-134 at FedExForum on Monday for the only loss.

Zach Edey starts at center. Stewart has been the backup, and No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer and Jerami Grant also joined the frontcourt this offseason.

Detroit dealt him June 24, during the second round of the draft. The return was three second-round picks, for 2029, 2031, and 2032.

He had been told to expect the Los Angeles Lakers or the Wizards. Then his agent called.

"He's telling me he got a deal from Memphis that he can't turn down," Stewart told Andscape's Marc J. Spears. "And a few minutes later it came out that I got traded to Memphis. I didn't know how to feel. I wasn't mad about it."

He could tell he would fall in love with Memphis, he told Spears, and Grizzlies teammates and staff embraced him right away. At a summer workout in California, he pointed at the logo on his shirt.

"I'm representing," Stewart said.

Detroit shed $15 million for this season, $30 million over two years. Memphis has a team option for 2027-28. The deal eventually pulled in Washington, Dallas, Milwaukee, and the LA Clippers, too.

Six seasons. 365 games. That was Stewart's Detroit run, the longest of anyone on the roster when he left, with averages of 8.8 points and 6.8 rebounds.

Last season, on a 60-win team that took the East's top seed, he came off the bench in 45 of his 58 games. He averaged 10.0 points and 1.6 blocks, missed three weeks of March with a left calf injury, and saw his minutes drop to 11.8 in the playoffs.

Portland drafted him 16th out of Washington in 2020. His rights went to Houston, then Detroit.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are at FedExForum on Friday. Tip-off is 7 p.m. CT.