Isaiah Stewart in Pistons trade talks this summer? I'm sure of it

Isaiah Stewart is one of the best defensive centers in the NBA due to his ability to protect the rim and switch onto ball-handlers on the perimeter. But expect his name to pop up in trade talks ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23-24 and free agency the following week.

Stewart, 25, has been a key part of the Detroit Pistons‘ stunning two-year turnaround from 14 wins to 60.

Stewart, the longest-tenured player and heart of the Pistons, had a historic eight blocks in 17 minutes in Game 4 of the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Orlando Magic.

Then suddenly, his production off the bench behind the also-struggling Jalen Duren sunk to such a low that third-stringer Paul Reed eventually became the more trusted center option as the playoffs progressed.

Stewart has one year and $15 million guaranteed on his contract, then has a team option for 2027-28 for $15 million.

With the Pistons looking to upgrade their ball-handling and shooting, and with Reed a capable and inexpensive backup ($5.6 million), would Stewart be used in a trade?

That was one of the questions we tackled in our mailbag last week. Here’s the answer pulled from that mailbag:

Do you anticipate Beef Stew being used as a trade chip this offseason? He was unplayable in playoffs despite health according to trajan, JB – @dylan_goetz

“Anticipate” is a strong word. If I had to put money on it, I’d bet on Isaiah Stewart returning next season. But will his name come up in trade talks? I’m sure of it. He has two years and $30 million remaining on his contract – a very reasonable figure for one of the league’s top rim protectors. 

Postseason performance aside, Stewart is a coveted player. This past season was his best, setting a new career high in blocks per game (1.6) while averaging under 23 minutes anchoring the No. 2 defense in the league. His 3-point shooting, while not as prevalent the past two seasons, is still an asset to his game (34.3% for his career on a minimal 1.8 attempts per game).

[ Ranking Pistons roster from most-to-least likely to return in 2026-27 ]

Though Stewart, president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon and coach J.B. Bickerstaff all denied he was suffering from an injury during the playoffs, his impact fell off after a solid start. He tallied eight points and eight blocks in Game 4 against the Orlando Magic. Through his next 10 games, he blocked two shots total.

It was a puzzling fall-off, but a trade this offseason still feels premature. 

Read our entire Pistons mailbag for more on Duren’s contract situation, Malik Beasley’s standing and the offseason to-do list.

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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Isaiah Stewart will be in Pistons trade rumors, but deal is premature