The Detroit Pistons made a frontcourt roster move just ahead of the playoffs
With only three games left in the regular season, the Detroit Pistons are putting the final touches on their roster before transitioning to the playoffs, and they’ll have another big man to utilize on the paint if Isaiah Stewart is not healthy in time for the postseason.
On Tuesday, the Pistons converted Tolu Smith’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal on the brink of the playoffs after he helped the G-League’s Motor City Cruise reach the semifinals as well. Smith has mostly floated between the Cruise and the Pistons throughout the 2025-26 campaign, though he’s acquitted himself well during his cameos in the NBA.
Recently, Smith played 13 minutes against the Orlando Magic two nights ago in Detroit’s double-digit loss, and the center posted eight points, three rebounds and one assist. Paul Reed was called into the starting lineup for that game, so Smith served as the Pistons’ backup center on the night with Isaiah Stewart still out with a left calf strain.
Although Smith has produced modestly this year with 3.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, the Mississippi State product has impressed Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff with the way he battles in the paint for rebounds and the effort he applies on defense. Bickerstaff complimented Smith on these qualities after the second-year player posted nine points and 14 rebounds against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, January 10.
So, with the NBA Playoffs just around the corner, the Pistons will have a bit more depth down low to work with depending on when Stewart is back from his calf injury. As a result of this roster transaction, Detroit opted to waive Bobi Klintman to make the requisite space on the Pistons’ roster.
This season, Klintman bounced between the end of the Detroit bench and the Cruise starting lineup most of the time and was never able to entrench himself as a rotational player for the Pistons. Klintman had a few clutch efforts when Detroit was particularly injured in the frontcourt, but the Pistons have the fortunate problem of having too many quality players on the roster than they have minutes to disperse to said players.
But since Smith has shown the ability to contribute defensively and as a rebounder against quality competition, Bickerstaff may tinker with the idea of using Isaiah Stewart more as a power forward in the postseason to give the Pistons the right amount of grit and toughness down low.
Later today, Smith and the Pistons will take on the Milwaukee Bucks for their regular season home finale at 7 pm.
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