Dallas Mavs Among 3 NBA Teams with 'Great Trade Interest' for Detroit Pistons' Isaiah Stewart
DENVER — As the Detroit Pistons continue to rack up losses amid what is on pace to be a historically poor 2023-24 campaign, they naturally come into focus as a seller ahead of the midseason NBA trade deadline. Could the Dallas Mavericks get involved?
The focus for many would naturally begin with older veteran players like Bojan Bogdanovic, who tend not to match the timeline of a team that can't quite figure out how to progress from being one of the NBA's worst teams. However, plenty of other options on a team with ill-fitting personnel could be traded.
According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, the Mavs are among the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder as teams that have shown "great trade interest" in acquiring Stewart.
"Contending teams like Boston, Oklahoma City, and Dallas have shown great interest in Isaiah Stewart, league sources tell The Athletic," Edwards wrote.
Stewart has averaged 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 25 games this season. He's shooting 45.5 percent from the floor, 36.7 percent from beyond the arc (3.6 attempts per game), and 78.6 percent on free throws.
Detroit Pistons' big man, Isaiah Stewart, during the 2023-24 NBA season.
David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
While Stewart provides physicality and rebounding impact, he stands at just 6-foot-8, naturally preventing from having much of an imposing presence as a rim protector while not being a limited option to guard in space at 250 pounds. As a result, he's also limited as an interior play finisher while not being a fluid perimeter player as he attempts to improve his 3-point shooting.
The Pistons have repeatedly been reported as holding high trade asking prices for their key players, including for 22-year-old Stewart. The Mavs are limited to being able to outright trade just their 2027 first-round pick until the offseason due to top 10 protections on the final outgoing pick owed to the New York Knicks in part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade made in 2019.
Stewart signed a four-year, $60.0 million contract extension starting in the 2024-25 season, with a flat annual salary of $15.0 million. The final season has a team option, allowing for an out if necessary. With Dallas needing to optimize its spending around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Stewart's salary would need to be weighed.
