Pistons duo Ausar Thompson (blood clot) and Isaiah Stewart (hamstring) have been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Thompson is expected to return to basketball activities at the conclusion of the season and be ready for the start of next season.
The fifth pick in last summer’s draft, Thompson averaged 8.8 ppg and 6.4 rpg playing 25.1 mpg in 63 games as a rookie.
Whilst the three-point (18.6% on 1.8 attempts) and free throw shooting (59.7% on 1.9 attempts) never came, the 21-year-old made his mark as a dogged defender and rebounder.
He had multiple steals in 18 games, multiple blocks in 15, and eight games of double-digit rebounding including six games of five or more offensive boards.
Stewart – who signed a four-year, $60 million extension with the team prior to the season – averaged 10.9 ppg and 6.6 rpg and started in 45 of his 46 appearances.
His three-point shooting leap was perhaps the most promising aspect of his season with the 22-year-old shooting a career-high 38.3% on 3.8 attempts per game.
The Pistons currently sit at 12-56 – the league’s second-worst mark – and will look to add more talent to their young core of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey in June’s draft.
