Isaiah Stewart’s exit this offseason will sting for Pistons fans, but the blow may not land as hard on the floor as it does in the heart. One of Stewart’s most overlooked flaws - his rebounding - helped make him easier to target, and it was especially exposed by the Cavaliers in the playoffs. That’s part of why Detroit can feel better about handing the backup-center job to Paul Reed, who brings stronger rebounding and could end up helping the defense even more.
Stewart gave the Pistons plenty. He was a culture setter and a rim protector, and his energy plus sharp timing as a shot blocker helped fuel a dominant regular-season defense.
But the postseason showed the other side of the package. His lack of size and his offensive limitations were both part of why Detroit’s play dipped when it mattered most.
He wasn’t the only Piston whose weaknesses got picked apart in the playoffs, but he was the easiest to move because Reed had already flashed as a third-string center. In the 2026 playoffs, the gap between the two backup bigs was obvious on a per-minute basis. Stewart put up 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks per 36 minutes, while Reed posted 28 points, 15 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per 36 minutes.
That said, Reed’s numbers come from a small sample, and if he sustained that kind of production over starter minutes, he’d have an argument as the best center in the NBA. Even so, the film points to clear edges for Reed as both a scorer and a rebounder. He has better ball skills as a finisher and driver, and he brings more explosiveness when it’s time to go get the ball off the glass.
The trade sparked plenty of pushback from the Detroit crowd, but Reed looks ready for a bigger platform. Over the long haul of a regular season, it’s fair to debate which center is better.
In the playoffs, though, Reed has already shown more because his game is more complete. Stewart can swing a game with rim protection, but Reed doesn’t come with the same obvious weak spots that opponents can scheme around.
After a 60-win season, Detroit has made its priorities clear: postseason success first. From that angle, choosing Reed over Stewart makes sense, especially with Stewart’s messy bill of health over the last two playoff runs. Still, Reed will have to earn it, because the East playoff picture is loaded with formidable centers next season.
Pistons fans will remember Stewart for what he meant to the franchise’s turnaround. That won’t change. But his departure may end up feeling more emotional than painful in terms of actual production.
In Other News...
Pistons Linked To Young Bucks Guard They May Struggle To Land
The Pistons search for another source of secondary scoring and playmaking has naturally led them toward the trade market, and Milwaukee guard Ryan Rollins has surfaced as an intriguing name. After a breakout season, Rollins looks like the kind of young backcourt piece that fits Detroits timeline, giving the front office a reason to at least monitor whether a deal could be possible if the Bucks ever become open to moving him.
The problem is that Milwaukee has little obvious incentive to part with a player who is just starting to show real value, which makes any pursuit difficult before it even gets off the ground. Some speculation has already centered on what it might take to pry him loose, and the broader question for the Pistons is whether the price would be worth it when the asking point could be steep enough to test how aggressive they want to be. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons May Need An Unlikely Answer To Their Tobias Harris Problem
Replacing Tobias Harris was always going to be about more than swapping one frontcourt name for another. John Collins brings a different skill set to Detroit, but he does not naturally fill the same role Harris did as a self-creator, which leaves the Pistons needing help elsewhere if they want the offense to keep its balance when the minutes get a little more improvised.
That is where Daniss Jenkins enters the conversation, and in a way the team probably did not anticipate when the offseason began. He is expected to take on a larger role with Cade Cunningham off the floor, and Detroit will need him to turn last seasons promising penetration into more reliable scoring and creation. Jenkins showed he can get into the lane, but the next step is making those drives count in the paint, which could end up being a bigger part of solving this roster puzzle than anyone thought. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Duren Idea Would Force Pistons To Rethink Their Identity
The Pistons have spent recent seasons trying to build around a young core, and Jalen Duren has been part of that foundation in the middle. So when The Game Theory Podcast floated a speculative sign-and-trade framework, it naturally landed as more than just offseason chatter. The idea centered on Detroit shifting from its current interior-first look toward a different kind of lineup balance, one that could better fit the evolving shape of the roster.
At the heart of the concept is the kind of player Detroit has been linked to in theory for a while, a stretch five who can open the floor, plus another creator who can ease some pressure on the ball-handlers. Even so, the discussion also underscored how dramatic a move like this would be for the Pistons, because it would ask them to rethink both their identity and the role Duren has played in it. For now, it reads as a thought exercise more than a realistic transaction, but it is the sort of idea that tends to linger because it touches on so many of Detroits biggest questions. [Read more 🡒]