The Detroit Pistons were much more active on the second night of the 2026 NBA Draft than anyone expected, and they have a new rookie center at their disposal as a result of that movement.
Right when one shot-swatting big man was traded away from Detroit, another one will arrive in the Motor City after the Pistons completed a trade with the New York Knicks for the No. 53 overall selection, center Ugonna Onyenso from Virginia.
Earlier in the night, the Pistons opted to deal one of the league’s best rim protectors in Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies for three future second-round picks. Now, what makes this deal so interesting is that Detroit traded those same three selections to the Grizzlies on day one in order to move up for Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie. So with that deal already in the books, the Pistons stayed active and flipped Beef Stew for those same picks, which effectively cleared $15 million off the books for Detroit and gave the organization another mid-level exception to use this offseason.
Not long after that, the Pistons chose to exchange some cash to the Knicks for Onyenso to help bolster the team’s depth at center with Jalen Duren potentially returning (pending restricted free agency) and Paul Reed’s playoff ascension laying the foundation for a strong frontcourt. Onyenso, who stands at 6-11, spent one year at Virginia after spending one year at Kansas State and two at Kentucky to start his collegiate career.
Last season, Onyenso was unable to earn a starting role for the Cavaliers in any of the 36 games that he played in, but the big man found a way to impact the game without an abundance of offensive volume. Although Onyenso posted 6.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, the big man’s 2.9 blocks each night were oftentimes his most valuable contributions to Virginia. Onyenso logged an impressive 17.4% block rate, which shows that he has a similar shot-swatting instinct to the one that Stewart displayed over his six seasons in Motown. Since Stewart was the longest-tenured Piston on the roster, there is no way that Onyenso could replace Beef Stew’s all-around impact right off the bat, but perhaps he could develop into an imposing rim protector off the bench who also has the size and strength to battle in the low post, all of which Stewart did well.
Since Onyenso was selected in the second round by the Knicks, he will not be eligible for a guaranteed contract right away, but it is likely that the Pistons sign the 21-year old center to a two-way deal so that he can continue to develop and add to his game over the next couple years. Since Detroit will likely have Duren and Reed acting as their center rotation this season, the organization has the time and depth required to bring Onyenso along slowly if need be.
With Onyenso adding some young depth to the team’s frontcourt, the Pistons still have a couple objectives left on their offseason itinerary. Detroit did land Okorie in the draft, so the squad has another dynamic self-creator to use in the backcourt, but the Pistons could still use some help behind the three-point line. Additionally, there is currently a question mark at the power forward position since Tobias Harris is a free agent, but the Pistons are expected to bring the 15-year NBA vet back for another go-around.
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