The New Orleans Pelicans are in dire need of adding a starting-caliber center this offseason, and the perfect one may be coming available. With all signs pointing to the Detroit Pistons making big man Isaiah Stewart available this summer, he could be an ideal frontcourt piece to pair with Zion Williamson.Â
Stewart has potentially one year left on his contract at $15 million annually, with a team option next summer for an additional year at the same price point. Given that Detroit is expected to pay center Jalen Duren a massive deal in restricted free agency this summer and have Paul Reed as a third-string five-man, Stewart has become expendable.
Stewart fits the hard-nosed physical culture Joe Dumars is trying to build with the Pelicans, and shares ties to a prominent figure in the Pelicans front office. Going back to the 2020 draft, it was Troy Weaver who was running the Pistons when Stewart was selected No. 16, and now Weaver finds himself as the right-hand man to Dumars in the Big Easy.
Stewart is the center option New Orleans has been searching for
Stewart appears to be a realistic and exciting potential trade target for Joe Dumars, as he can bring a ton to the team defensively and be the type of culture fit they’re looking for. Since arriving in New Orleans, Dumars and now head coach Jamahl Mosley have preached being a tough defense-first team, two things that fit Stewart’s identity as a player. For years now, Stewart has been an overlooked player often painted as no more than an enforcer, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Stewart doesn’t get the credit he deserves for how high a basketball IQ he has, especially defensively. Whether it’s on the weakside block or as the primary rim protector, Stew knows how to hold down the paint.Â
Even on the perimeter, Stew is really strong. He is truly able to guard the 3-through-5 and sometimes even the guard spots, depending on the opposing player's shiftiness and speed. Outside of Herb Jones and maybe Micah Peavy, having versatile defenders isn’t a strong suit of the Pelicans.
His biggest tool defensively is his mouth—every time I tuned in to a Pistons game this past season, you could see him quarterbacking the defense. Communicating switches, calling out the other team's plays, or even something as simple as hyping up his teammates on that end.
Aside from his incredible defense, his biggest strength is his activity on the glass. This past season, New Orleans gave up the third-most offensive rebounds per game. With Stewart in the middle, that wouldn’t be the case. Too many times in 2025-26, the Pelicans failed to close out possessions because they didn’t rebound, but by putting a physical, strong big man like Stewart in the middle, it wouldn’t be such a frequent issue.
The other intriguing part about Stewart is that back in 2023-24, he shot 38.3 percent from three on nearly four attempts per game. Since then, his volume and percentages have dipped, but if he could rediscover that part of his game, there may not be a center who's a better fit for the Pelicans than him.
For a while now, New Orleans has been searching for a true defensive anchor in the middle, and if Detroit is willing to listen to offers for Isaiah Stewart, Joe Dumars needs to pick up the phone.
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