Why the Detroit Pistons Will Be Without Ausar Thompson for Quite Some Time

It’s bound to happen eventually, even to the teams finding this level of success.

On Saturday, March 7, news broke that the Detroit Pistons had lost small forward Ausar Thompson to injury at a critical point in the campaign. With the 2025-26 NBA Playoffs just weeks away, Thompson was diagnosed with an ankle injury, something that could have a drastic effect on the Pistons moving forward.

But to add insult to injury, literally, Thompson isn’t the only starter Detroit will be without. The Pistons are now set to miss another key piece of their starting lineup as well.

BREAKING: Pistons SF Ausar Thompson (ankle) is without a timetable to return, per HC J.B. Bickerstaff pic.twitter.com/ZCxdEmMQxL
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) March 7, 2026

When speaking on the injury to Thompson before Saturday night's game, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff confirmed that superstar guard Cade Cunningham was also dealing with an injury of his own. He confirmed both players would be off the court for a bit of time.

"Ausar Thompson, I think, is going to be a minute," Bickerstaff said. "Just from where the ankle sprain was and what happened, how he was moving afterwards. Deuce [Cade Cunningham], I think, will be more day-to-day. So we'll just keep an eye on him, see how he responds and how he recovers.

"But hopefully it's not a long-term thing."

Both Ausar Thompson (right ankle sprain) & Cade Cunningham (left quadriceps contusion) are out tonight.

Regarding their respective returns, Bickerstaff said it’s “going to be a minute” for Thompson. As for Cunningham, the team hopes it is not a long-term thing. pic.twitter.com/MuZIiLePP8
— Coty M. Davis (@CotyDavis_24) March 7, 2026

Obviously, an injury to a player like Cunningham is going to cause the Pistons to take a major step backward offensively, primarily due to how good a scorer and playmaker he is. On the 2025-26 season, he's averaging an impressive 25.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists a night, which should lead him to All-NBA honors.

But while Cunningham's injury will draw a lot of eyes, Thompson's should as well.

He's not the elite offensive threat that Cunningham is, but his defensive pressure is what makes him such a valuable player for the Pistons' success.

Thompson's Role This Season

In years past, Thompson was seen as the Pistons' brightest young talent, and while he is still just 23 years old, he's experienced humps in his development that have begun to raise questions about just how good he truly can end up being.

This season, he's averaging 10.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists a game across 57 played. He's also tacked on a staggering 1.9 steals a game, making him one of the NBA's best defensive guards.

While offensively, he's not one of the most impactful players on the court, defensively, he makes all the difference in the world.

On his way to a career-high average in steals per game, he has recorded three steals in a game 10 times, four steals five times, five steals once, and six steals once. Any player having that level of success taking the ball away from the opposition is incredibly valuable, especially when those takeaways lead to points on the other end of the court.

The hope is that Thompson is r eady to go by the postseason, where the Pistons will need his intensity badly.

Without Thompson, the Pistons will gear up for a couple of tough games over the coming days. Following Saturday night's win over the Brooklyn Nets, the team will prepare to take on the Miami Heat on Sunday, March 8, from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla.