Detroit Pistons Rule Out Key Player vs Miami Heat

The Detroit Pistons lost Isaiah Stewart against the Heat on Monday.

Oct 28, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) and Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) wait for a rebound during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The decision to bring back a veteran center turned out to be a useful one for the Detroit Pistons.

As the Pistons battled it out against the Miami Heat on Monday night, they lost their backup center Isaiah Stewart to a knee injury.

It’s unclear just how severe Stewart’s injury is, but the veteran is dealing with a hyperextended left knee, according to the team.

As a result, Stewart’s absence will open up the door for Paul Reed to earn minutes on Monday.

Stewart left the game after checking in for seven minutes. During that time, he scored four points while coming down with three rebounds.

Isaiah Stewart (hyperextended left knee) will not return.

— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) December 17, 2024

Over the weekend, the Pistons waived Reed, which was a shocking move at the time. While Detroit was expected to move on from him via waive or trade before his salary was guaranteed for the year next month, nobody expected a move to happen earlier.

After the Pistons waived Reed, they promoted the Motor City Cruise guard JaVante McCoy to reach the salary floor before Monday. Once Reed cleared waivers, the Pistons waived McCoy and brought Reed back to the team ahead of their matchup against the Heat.

This season, Reed appeared in 12 games for the Pistons. He averaged five points and two rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field.

The Pistons are down three players on Monday against Miami. In addition to Stewart, the team ruled out its starting forward Tobias Harris, who is dealing with a thumb injury. The veteran guard Jaden Ivey was on pace to play, but was scratched before tip-off as he’s dealing with a sore knee.