Former Wisconsin big man Steven Crowl has landed another NBA shot, this time with the Detroit Pistons for Summer League.
Crowl spent all of last season with the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G-League affiliate, and never got the call up to the Jazz. In 31 games, he logged more than 24 minutes per night and put up 6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists a game. Utah chose not to bring him back on a new contract when the season ended, leaving his next move very much up in the air.
For a while, it looked like that next step might come overseas. Crowl could have gone the international route, and Max Klesmit - who was with him in Salt Lake City last season - was one possible path to follow. Instead, Crowl’s agents found him another NBA opening, at least for now.
“Steven Crowl (Wisconsin) has agreed to play NBA Summer League with the Detroit Pistons according to his agents Keith Kreiter & Sam Cipriano at Edge Sports.
The skilled 7-footer started 22 G-League games last season for the Utah Jazz. pic.twitter.com/tDu3i0ImVe
- Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) July 8, 2026”
At 7 feet, Crowl brings size and enough defensive ability to keep NBA teams interested. He was never a dominant force at Wisconsin, but he knows how to use his frame in ways that create some real intrigue at the next level. That’s the kind of profile that can keep a player on the radar, especially when teams are still sorting out what he can become.
There’s a recent Badger comparison worth watching here in Micah Potter. Potter is six seasons into the NBA and only now starting to find more consistent production.
His path has had plenty of ups and downs contractually, but he has shown he can be a useful NBA player. Crowl’s challenge is figuring out whether he can carve out something similar.
This summer will matter a lot. Last year’s Exhibit-10 deal gave Crowl a built-in route to the G-League, but this one is strictly for Summer League. He has to earn anything beyond that with Detroit, including a possible spot with the Motor City Cruise.
The Pistons open Summer League today, July 9, and are among the first teams on the floor, tipping at 4:30 CT against the Philadelphia 76ers. For Crowl, it’s the first chance to show he belongs and the first real test of whether this NBA door stays open. If it doesn’t, the overseas option may be waiting again.
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