NBA Trade Rumors: Pistons Forward Drawing Interest from East Rival

New York Knicks keeping tabs on Detroit Pistons forward.

Nov 11, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) shoots the ball as New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Between still having financial flexibility and contracts of various sizes on the roster, the Detroit Pistons are in a good position to swing a trade this season. According to recent developments, one Eastern Conference contender might be eyeing one of their frontcourt players.

On Monday afternoon, news emerged regarding New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. After undergoing ankle surgery this offseason, the veteran center isn't expected to be ready for the start of the season. As one of just two centers on the roster, this leaves them thin at the center position.

While reporting on Robinson's injury update, James Edwards of The Athletic cited that the Knicks have been looking around the league for centers to target via trade. Among the players mentioned was Knicks forward Isaiah Stewart.

New York has spent a good portion of the last few months scouring the league to address its the lack of depth at the position, according to league sources. The team has shown interest in trading for Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart, among others.

Stewart, 23, is gearing up for his fifth season with the Pistons. His production took a slight dip in 2024, averaging 10.9 PPG and 6.6 RPG across 46 games. Stewart is coming off his best three-point shooting season, knocking down 38.3% of his attempts from beyond the arc.

The Pistons likely aren't in a rush to move on from Stewart for various reasons. For starters, he is under team control long-term. Stewart is just getting ready to start a four-year contract with a fixed salary of $15 million a year.

Roster construction is another reason why Detroit might want to keep the homegrown talent around. Heading into training camp, Stewart is expected to be Jalen Duren's primary backup at center.

Seeing that they're also relatively thin at that position, it's fair to assume Detroit will want to keep Stewart around. Especially considering he is a big who can stretch the floor with his shooting. Having a big like Stewart who can be a threat from deep opens the door for a five-out style to open things up offensively for guards like Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.