The Detroit Pistons are officially out of the running for international forward Isaac Bonga after news of his impending move to Panathinaikos
Based on the moves that the Detroit Pistons have made during the summer so far, it is clear that the team’s President of Basketball Operations, Trajan Langdon, is working to explore all options— both likely and unlikely— that could serve to improve the squad. After bringing in three-point sniper Isaiah Joe and athletic stretch four John Collins in the wake of trading Isaiah Stewart, Langdon is not shying away from making surprising moves, but the Pistons can now cross one low-risk, high-reward player off their list.
Despite rumors during the 2025-26 season that international forward Isaac Bonga was going to eventually sign with the Pistons, it appears that the 6-8 German is going to remain overseas after leaving Partizan Belgrade in favor of Panathinaikos.
Several months back, it appeared as if Bonga was headed back to the NBA after playing four years stateside from 2018 to the end of the 2021-22 campaign. During that timeframe, Bonga began his career as a 19-year old on the Los Angeles Lakers who played sparingly in the Western Conference before finding his footing with the Washington Wizards over the next two seasons with increased playing. One year after that, Bonga had his role reduced while he was a member of the Toronto Raptors, and that ultimately put a halt to his playing days in America.
From that point, Bonga joined Bayern Munich for two seasons where he started at least 20 games for the German giants before transferring to the Serbian club Partizan Belgrade where he enjoyed a more pronounced role. In total, Bonga averaged 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while featuring in the EuroLeague, but now it looks like the dynamic point forward is going to embark upon a new chapter in Greece.
According to Donatas Urbonas of Basket News, Bonga’s contract will include an exit clause to the NBA every single year, so there is still a door open for the one-time NBA player to re-enter the league if he so chooses. However, this development all but closes the door on the possibility of Bonga suiting up for the Pistons this season.
Regardless of that outcome, Detroit has remained active during the offseason by bringing in former Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe and ex-Los Angeles Clippers big man John Collins to help fill out the Pistons’ depth chart, so Bonga likely would have been competing for a spot on the end of Detroit’s bench either way.
During his lone season as a Laker, Bonga was listed as a point guard on the team’s roster, but he shifted to a small forward role for the subsequent three years that he spent in the NBA. In Detroit’s system, Bonga would have fit in as a third-string player on the wing, but that is a possibility which will be tabled for the future depending on how his time with Panathinaikos goes considering the exit clause that his agent worked into his contract to keep the door open for his return to America.
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