The Detroit Pistons are making Isaiah Stewart available this summer, and the first wave of interest is already clear. The Bucks, Celtics, Spurs and Heat are reported to be at the front of the line for the 6-foot-8 center.
That matters now because the offseason trade market is tightening just days before the 2026 NBA Draft, when teams start deciding whether to act or wait. Stewart is not being shopped as a filler piece. He averaged 10 points a game on 55% shooting last season, blocked 1.6 shots per game and held opponents to a league-best 43.8% shooting at the rim when he was the primary defender.
Sam Amick first reported that Detroit was making Stewart available, and Jake Fischer later identified the Bucks, Celtics, Spurs and Heat as the four teams at the front of the line. In a market where frontcourt help is hard to find, that profile gives Stewart a real role on several contenders. The Pistons are also weighing how to handle his availability while still needing to pay Jalen Duren this summer, which makes the price as important as the interest.
The Celtics' interest is part of a broader search for front-line help as they look toward another season built around title contention. At the February trade deadline, Boston asked Minnesota about Rudy Gobert, with the logic likely centered on a Derrick White for Gobert swap, but Minnesota is not actively shopping Gobert now and has been more open to putting Julius Randle in trade talks. Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid remain off-limits, which narrows what the Timberwolves can realistically move.
That is the wrinkle in a market that otherwise looks straightforward. Miami needs more talent up front, especially if it ever has to send Kel'el Ware out in a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal. San Antonio wants a physical presence who can share the floor with Victor Wembanyama at times and also back up the middle. The Bucks need help everywhere. Yet no one has said what Detroit wants in return for Stewart, and without a clear asking price, interest can stay just that — interest.
For now, the read is simple: Stewart is one of the more usable big men on the market, and the teams circling him have reasons that go beyond depth. Whether the Pistons turn that into a deal before the season will depend on how high they value his defense and how far they are willing to go while their own roster picture is still being sorted out.
