- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,263,654
- Reaction score
- 59
Isaiah Stewart never hid what Detroit meant to him.
For six seasons, he played like somebody who understood exactly what Pistons fans value. Toughness. Effort. Physicality. No backing down. Yet when his role shrank during Detroit’s playoff run last spring, Stewart began wondering whether his future still belonged in the Motor City.
Now, nearly two months after the Detroit Pistons traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies, Stewart has opened up about what was happening behind the scenes.
And his comments make one thing pretty clear: by the time the trade happened, Stewart was ready for a fresh start.
Stewart told ESPN’s Marc J. Spears that the hardest part was putting in the work without understanding why his opportunity had changed.
“When things are out of your control, the only thing you can do is pray,” Stewart told Spears. “And I was in a situation where you will work so hard and you have a goal, you are putting your all into something, and you’re not able to get a certain opportunity or reap that kind of reward.
“You don’t know why, and it’ll make you question yourself, stress yourself out because of the passion and love you have for the game. We felt all we could do is just pray. Let the Lord figure it out, because he always works things out for us.”
That frustration had been building during Detroit’s postseason run.
Stewart averaged 22.7 minutes during the regular season, but that number plunged to 11.8 minutes per game in the playoffs. His calf injury earlier in the year naturally created questions about whether health played a role, but Stewart said during the postseason that he was fully healthy.
His explanation then was straightforward.
“I’ve been available to play,” Stewart said in May. “With the minutes, it’s the coach’s game plan; you have to trust and respect it. All I can do is control what I can control. Obviously, I would love to be out there, but all I can do is trust the game plan and be a great teammate.”
There was no public blowup. No trade demand. No attempt to embarrass the organization.
But the disappointment was real.
Detroit’s rotation told the story before the front office ever made the trade official.
Paul Reed began taking on a larger role behind Jalen Duren during the playoffs and delivered productive minutes. Reed appeared in nine postseason games, averaged 7.4 points and shot 66.7 percent from the floor.
Once that happened, Stewart’s place in Detroit became much less certain.
President of basketball operations Trajan Langdon later explained that Stewart’s calf issue and conditioning had contributed to the situation.
“Stew was not hurt. I give him a ton of credit,” Langdon said. “He had a suspension going into All-Star (break), he played for four or five games, and then had an injury to his calf. There was some slight deconditioning at the wrong time. I don’t think he was at the height of his conditioning, but he came in and gave us what we could at that time.”
From Detroit’s perspective, there was also a financial component that could not be ignored.
Stewart is owed $30 million over the next two seasons. Moving that contract while acquiring three second-round picks created additional flexibility for a Pistons front office that still has major business to handle, including its unresolved contract situation with Duren.
This was not simply Detroit deciding Stewart could no longer play. It was a roster decision, a financial decision and, increasingly, a role decision all wrapped together.
When the trade finally happened in June, Stewart admitted he did not immediately know how to process it.
“I didn’t know how to feel,” Stewart told Spears about being traded. “I wasn’t mad about it. I was happy that I was moving on to a new chapter.
“At first I was like, ‘Man, so first time I got traded in my career, and I’m in Memphis.’ New teammates, new guys in the system. My mind just started going that way. And I’m thankful because I’m somewhere where I’m really wanted. And the fanbase already respects and loves who I am. I’d rather be where I’m wanted than headed back into a situation where it’s not the best.”
That final sentence will get the attention of Pistons fans.
“I’d rather be where I’m wanted.”
It is difficult to hear that and not recognize how Stewart viewed the end of his Detroit tenure.
For years, he had been one of the franchise’s most recognizable personalities. He survived the rebuilding seasons, the losing streaks, coaching changes, front-office changes and constant roster turnover.
Then Detroit finally became a contender, and Stewart found himself playing his smallest role at precisely the moment the games mattered most.
That had to sting.
Stewart played 365 games for the Pistons after arriving in 2020, averaging 8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
Those numbers never fully explained his popularity.
Detroit fans connected with Stewart because he played with an edge. He battled bigger centers, protected teammates and rarely treated any possession like it was meaningless.
For a franchise that spent much of his tenure searching for an identity, Stewart always had one.
He also developed a connection with the city that went beyond basketball.
“I have just so much love for the city of Detroit,” Stewart told Spears. “They welcomed me with open arms. Coming in at 19, I instantly went to the community just naturally. There are a lot of great people that are doing a lot of great things in Detroit.”
That relationship is why his departure feels different from a routine offseason transaction.
Detroit did not merely trade a backup big man. The Pistons moved one of the few players who had been present for nearly the entire climb from the bottom of the Eastern Conference into postseason contention.
The Grizzlies finished just 25-57 last season, so Stewart is not walking directly into a championship contender.
What Memphis can offer is opportunity.
Stewart has already lived through a rebuild once. He knows what losing seasons look like, what young locker rooms need and how quickly the mood around a franchise can change once winning begins.
There is also something fitting about Stewart landing in Memphis.
Few NBA cities appreciate hard-nosed basketball more than Memphis. Stewart’s game has never been about finesse first. His value comes from physicality, defense, rebounding and the willingness to make the uncomfortable plays.
If the Grizzlies want players who can help restore some edge to the franchise, Stewart makes plenty of sense.
The Isaiah Stewart trade makes more sense now than it did on the day it happened.
Detroit had reduced his role, found another option in Paul Reed and needed greater financial flexibility. Stewart, meanwhile, wanted a place where his opportunity matched the work he was putting in.
Those two realities eventually reached the same conclusion.
There does not appear to be bitterness toward Detroit itself. Stewart still talks about the city with genuine affection. His disappointment was with his basketball situation and the feeling that his role no longer reflected what he believed he could provide.
That is what makes this one complicated for Pistons fans.
Detroit may have made the right basketball decision.
Stewart may also have been right to want something more.
Both things can be true.
Continue reading...
For six seasons, he played like somebody who understood exactly what Pistons fans value. Toughness. Effort. Physicality. No backing down. Yet when his role shrank during Detroit’s playoff run last spring, Stewart began wondering whether his future still belonged in the Motor City.
Now, nearly two months after the Detroit Pistons traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies, Stewart has opened up about what was happening behind the scenes.
And his comments make one thing pretty clear: by the time the trade happened, Stewart was ready for a fresh start.
You must be registered for see images attach
Isaiah Stewart Felt His Opportunity Slipping Away
Stewart told ESPN’s Marc J. Spears that the hardest part was putting in the work without understanding why his opportunity had changed.
“When things are out of your control, the only thing you can do is pray,” Stewart told Spears. “And I was in a situation where you will work so hard and you have a goal, you are putting your all into something, and you’re not able to get a certain opportunity or reap that kind of reward.
“You don’t know why, and it’ll make you question yourself, stress yourself out because of the passion and love you have for the game. We felt all we could do is just pray. Let the Lord figure it out, because he always works things out for us.”
That frustration had been building during Detroit’s postseason run.
Stewart averaged 22.7 minutes during the regular season, but that number plunged to 11.8 minutes per game in the playoffs. His calf injury earlier in the year naturally created questions about whether health played a role, but Stewart said during the postseason that he was fully healthy.
His explanation then was straightforward.
“I’ve been available to play,” Stewart said in May. “With the minutes, it’s the coach’s game plan; you have to trust and respect it. All I can do is control what I can control. Obviously, I would love to be out there, but all I can do is trust the game plan and be a great teammate.”
There was no public blowup. No trade demand. No attempt to embarrass the organization.
But the disappointment was real.
Pistons Had Already Started Shifting Away From Stewart
Detroit’s rotation told the story before the front office ever made the trade official.
Paul Reed began taking on a larger role behind Jalen Duren during the playoffs and delivered productive minutes. Reed appeared in nine postseason games, averaged 7.4 points and shot 66.7 percent from the floor.
Once that happened, Stewart’s place in Detroit became much less certain.
President of basketball operations Trajan Langdon later explained that Stewart’s calf issue and conditioning had contributed to the situation.
“Stew was not hurt. I give him a ton of credit,” Langdon said. “He had a suspension going into All-Star (break), he played for four or five games, and then had an injury to his calf. There was some slight deconditioning at the wrong time. I don’t think he was at the height of his conditioning, but he came in and gave us what we could at that time.”
From Detroit’s perspective, there was also a financial component that could not be ignored.
Stewart is owed $30 million over the next two seasons. Moving that contract while acquiring three second-round picks created additional flexibility for a Pistons front office that still has major business to handle, including its unresolved contract situation with Duren.
This was not simply Detroit deciding Stewart could no longer play. It was a roster decision, a financial decision and, increasingly, a role decision all wrapped together.
Stewart Says Memphis Made Him Feel Wanted
When the trade finally happened in June, Stewart admitted he did not immediately know how to process it.
“I didn’t know how to feel,” Stewart told Spears about being traded. “I wasn’t mad about it. I was happy that I was moving on to a new chapter.
“At first I was like, ‘Man, so first time I got traded in my career, and I’m in Memphis.’ New teammates, new guys in the system. My mind just started going that way. And I’m thankful because I’m somewhere where I’m really wanted. And the fanbase already respects and loves who I am. I’d rather be where I’m wanted than headed back into a situation where it’s not the best.”
That final sentence will get the attention of Pistons fans.
“I’d rather be where I’m wanted.”
It is difficult to hear that and not recognize how Stewart viewed the end of his Detroit tenure.
For years, he had been one of the franchise’s most recognizable personalities. He survived the rebuilding seasons, the losing streaks, coaching changes, front-office changes and constant roster turnover.
Then Detroit finally became a contender, and Stewart found himself playing his smallest role at precisely the moment the games mattered most.
That had to sting.
Stewart Leaves Behind a Real Detroit Legacy
Stewart played 365 games for the Pistons after arriving in 2020, averaging 8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
Those numbers never fully explained his popularity.
Detroit fans connected with Stewart because he played with an edge. He battled bigger centers, protected teammates and rarely treated any possession like it was meaningless.
For a franchise that spent much of his tenure searching for an identity, Stewart always had one.
He also developed a connection with the city that went beyond basketball.
“I have just so much love for the city of Detroit,” Stewart told Spears. “They welcomed me with open arms. Coming in at 19, I instantly went to the community just naturally. There are a lot of great people that are doing a lot of great things in Detroit.”
That relationship is why his departure feels different from a routine offseason transaction.
Detroit did not merely trade a backup big man. The Pistons moved one of the few players who had been present for nearly the entire climb from the bottom of the Eastern Conference into postseason contention.
Memphis Gives Stewart Something Detroit Could No Longer Promise
The Grizzlies finished just 25-57 last season, so Stewart is not walking directly into a championship contender.
What Memphis can offer is opportunity.
Stewart has already lived through a rebuild once. He knows what losing seasons look like, what young locker rooms need and how quickly the mood around a franchise can change once winning begins.
There is also something fitting about Stewart landing in Memphis.
Few NBA cities appreciate hard-nosed basketball more than Memphis. Stewart’s game has never been about finesse first. His value comes from physicality, defense, rebounding and the willingness to make the uncomfortable plays.
If the Grizzlies want players who can help restore some edge to the franchise, Stewart makes plenty of sense.
You must be registered for see images attach
Bottom Line
The Isaiah Stewart trade makes more sense now than it did on the day it happened.
Detroit had reduced his role, found another option in Paul Reed and needed greater financial flexibility. Stewart, meanwhile, wanted a place where his opportunity matched the work he was putting in.
Those two realities eventually reached the same conclusion.
There does not appear to be bitterness toward Detroit itself. Stewart still talks about the city with genuine affection. His disappointment was with his basketball situation and the feeling that his role no longer reflected what he believed he could provide.
That is what makes this one complicated for Pistons fans.
Detroit may have made the right basketball decision.
Stewart may also have been right to want something more.
Both things can be true.
Continue reading...
