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Detroit Pistons Made Minor Roster Move Ahead of Hornets Matchup

Ausar Thompson practiced with the Pistons' G League squad.
Justin Grasso|
Feb 26, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) warms up as the New York Knicks are introduced before a game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) warms up as the New York Knicks are introduced before a game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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Detroit Pistons

This week, the Detroit Pistons made a small roster move regarding the second-year wing Ausar Thompson. The former fifth-overall pick was assigned to the team’s NBA G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.

While the G League is typically a way to allow recovering players to get some game action ahead of their return to the NBA, Thompson is not expected to play for the Cruise at the moment. Instead, he put in some extra work with the squad on Detroit’s day off.

The plan for Thompson with the Cruise could change, but reports indicate that the sophomore wing is simply still working his way back and isn’t ready for games just yet. After Tuesday's Cruise practice, Thompson was back with the Pistons.

Last season, Thompson was sidelined on March 11 for the first time. He ended up missing the remainder of the 2023-2024 regular season due to blood clots. While the Pistons hoped Thompson would be ready in time for the start of the 2024-2025 season, that wasn’t the case.

The decision to clear Thompson was out of the Pistons’ hands. The wait for the NBA to clear Thompson extended past the preseason and the start of the regular season.

Recently, the NBA allowed for Thompson to return to practice. However, he doesn’t have a timeline to take the floor for his season debut.

On Thursday, the Pistons will pay a visit to the Charlotte Hornets. Thompson is expected to miss the action once again.

At this point, the Pistons are 7-9 on the year. While they’ve exceeded early expectations, they could certainly use Thompson’s services on the defensive end, where he thrived throughout his rookie season.

In 63 games, Thompson averaged 25 minutes on the court. Offensively, he produced nine points and two assists per game with 48 percent shooting from the field.

Defensively, Thompson came down with six rebounds, snatched one steal, and blocked one shot per game.

After the matchup against Charlotte, the Pistons will visit the Orlando Magic to close out the week. Soon, the Pistons hope to have a clearer idea of Thompson’s return.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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