Should the Detroit Pistons consider offering Isaiah Stewart in a trade to address the team’s three-point shooting struggles?
Last year, the Detroit Pistons fought their way to the top of the Eastern Conference through a steady regimen of hard-nosed defense that snuffed out turnovers in order to spark a transition offense that relied heavily on paint scoring. In order to make that blueprint successful, the Pistons needed sixth-year big man Isaiah Stewart to provide the brute force on the interior that made the Detroit paint a dangerous place for opposing teams to drive.
In the process, Stewart put together one of his most stellar shot-swatting seasons in the association so far, averaging 1.6 blocks per game. Overall, Stewart contributed 10 points and five rebounds each night, but it was his rim-protecting ability on defense that generated so much value on account of the longest-tenured Piston. At one point, Beef Stew was even in discussions for Defensive Player of the Year before falling well short of the 65-game requirement. Still, Stewart walked away with the Eastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month honor for his handiwork back in December, and the big man grew into a crucial element for Detroit’s defensive-based second unit, even receiving a vote for 6th Man of the Year.
From a contractual standpoint, the 25-year old is entering the third season of a four-year deal that he inked prior to the 2024-25 campaign. Right now, Stewart is collecting $15 million per season according to Spotrac, which is a relatively solid bargain given the defensive rigidity that he provides. After this season, the Pistons have control of a club option for the final season of his four-year deal, so the team currently has some flexibility to work with on a rather inexpensive deal.
All of those reasons are part of why Stewart has popped up as a potential trade asset for the Pistons this offseason. The shot-redirecting expert out of Washington is on a team-friendly deal while specializing in the ever-valuable art of rim protection, so it makes sense that other organizations could seek out his level of defensive impact this summer.
Now, the Pistons are in a fortunate position since they have Jalen Duren as the team’s starting center after his first All-Star campaign last season, which gives the team a dynamic one-two punch to work with at the five. But to make Detroit’s depth situation even more favorable, Paul Reed checks in as perhaps the NBA’s most impactful third-string center, so the Pistons are inarguably deeper at center than any other position at the moment.
With that reality hanging in Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon’s mind, it would make sense for the team to consider moving Stewart for the right price. Detroit should be looking at adding three-point shooters to the lineup, and it would help if that player also acquitted themselves as a reliable secondary scorer in the 20-point per game range. The Pistons could also serve to find a long-term answer at the power forward spot with Tobias Harris entering free agency, so Stewart could potentially help the team address multiple aspects in the right deal.
Now, this is by no means a proclamation that the Pistons need to trade Stewart this offseason but more of an explanation as to why Beef Stew could be a valuable trade chip this summer.
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