The Memphis Grizzlies have acquired center Isaiah Stewart from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for three future second-round draft picks. The trade, reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday, occurred during the second night of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Stewart, 25, is under contract through the 2027-28 season, with a four-year, $60 million extension signed two years ago that includes a team option for his final year. Last season, he averaged 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 22.7 minutes over 58 games. Stewart finished seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting for the Pistons, who reached over 60 wins for the first time in two decades.
Speculation regarding Stewart's future in Detroit had circulated since early June, with the Pistons aiming to shed salary and reconfigure their roster. The team could now seek an upgrade to support Cade Cunningham.
The Grizzlies had initially acquired three second-round selections from Detroit on the first night of the draft, only to send them back the following evening for Stewart, often nicknamed “Beef Stew.”
Stewart is expected to provide backup center minutes behind Zach Edey for the Grizzlies, who struggled with rebounding in the latter half of last season. With a healthy Edey and the addition of Stewart, Memphis's frontcourt is anticipated to see significant improvement. This comes alongside the team’s draft selections of Cameron Boozer with the third overall pick and Karim Lopez at 21st, potentially transforming a previously weak frontcourt into a formidable unit.