Will Detroit Pistons’ First-Rounder Be Ready for NBA Training Camp?

Will the former first-round pick Ausar Thompson be ready for his second training camp with the Detroit Pistons?

Feb 27, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls center Andre Drummond (3) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports | Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

When the Detroit Pistons announced their 2024 NBA Summer League roster, a notable name was missing.

Ausar Thompson was not slated to play.

Although the former fifth-overall pick has plenty of NBA experience under his belt already, he seemed like a prime candidate to get another run in Las Vegas at the Summer League. However, the way his 2023-2024 regular season ended played a part in his absence.

Dealing with a health issue, Thompson’s rookie season ended with 63 games played. His last appearance on the court took place on March 9, when the Pistons suffered an 18-point loss against the eventual Western Conference Champions, the Dallas Mavericks.

At the time, Thompson followed up a 43-minute showing against Brooklyn with an 11-minute shift. He would go on to miss the final 19 games of the Pistons’ season.

It seems the Pistons took the cautious route with Thompson by holding him out of the Vegas games. According to the team’s new President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon, Thompson is cleared for basketball activities.

Will he be ready for his second NBA training camp? There’s hope—but no guarantee.

“He’s been cleared to play basketball,” Langdon said recently during a Pistons’ Summer League matchup broadcast. “That just happened recently, so we didn’t want to ramp him up too quickly and throw him in the fire playing competitive basketball in a short amount of time. We think he’ll be ready for training camp, and he’s going to ramp up from now and be ready to explode when we’re ready to go. He’s in the gym every day working with Fred on his shot, and I’m super excited about having him.”

This year’s Summer League run could’ve been a solid opportunity for Thompson to fine-tune specific areas of his game while getting into basketball shape after a long layover. Instead, the Pistons have Thompson on a different workout plan as they look to keep him as healthy as possible over the summer.

Ahead of year two, Thompson is set to continue with having a role within the Pistons’ system. Under former head coach Monty Williams, Thompson averaged 25 minutes of playing time in 63 games. He started half of those matchups.

In year one, Thompson flashed elite potential on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, he struggled from three but managed to produce nine points per game, making 48 percent of his field goals.

The soon-to-be sophomore will enter year two with a new head coach, playing for Detroit’s newly hired J.B. Bickerstaff.

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