Isaiah Stewart had cemented himself as a key player and cultural icon of the newest era Detroit Pistons before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason.
In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, the big man talked about his last season with the Pistons.
"Bittersweet. We had a great season," Stewart said about his last year. "Sixty wins. No. 1 in the East. And that's how I always pictured Detroit being since I got drafted – bringing back that identity, that toughness brand to Detroit. I feel like we did that in the regular season. And the playoffs came and it didn't go exactly how we planned or talked about."
He spoke about feeling that his time with Detroit is coming to an end and praying with his wife to be traded to a team that would appreciate him.
"When things are out of your control, the only thing you can do is pray," the 25-year-old said. "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."
Isaiah Stewart's Pistons chapter ends after six seasons
Isaiah Stewart spent his first six NBA seasons with the Detroit Pistons, developing from an energetic young center into one of the team's most physical and dependable rotation players.
Detroit selected Stewart 16th overall in 2020, and he earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in his first season. He later became a full-time starter before transitioning into a versatile bench role, playing both power forward and center.
Stewart's best scoring season came in 2022-23, when he averaged 11.3 points and 8.0 rebounds. Last season, he posted 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds across 58 games while finishing seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
His long stay in Detroit ended this offseason, when the Pistons traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a six-team deal.
Stewart leaves Detroit without ever becoming a major offensive option, but his toughness, rebounding, defensive presence, and willingness to accept different roles made him a valuable part of the franchise for six seasons.