The Pistons are very low on center depth right now, but they still shouldn't regret trading Isaiah Stewart this summer when looking at the bigger picture. Stewart has helped the Grizzlies get off to a hot start at 5-0, but he hasn't yet shown the growth in his offensive game that Detroit needed to keep him around. He has been excellent in his usual strengths, which is great for Memphis but not what the Pistons wanted anymore.
Stewart has continued to be the same player he always was
As expected, Stewart has been a great defensive anchor for his new team and a culture setter who can change the franchise's direction. This was the same role he occupied with the Pistons over his years in Detroit, and especially thrived in over the last two seasons. But the Pistons now have other players to lead their defense and are content to have Paul Reed as their backup center instead, since he has more offensive juice than Stewart.
Stewart has been a solid play finisher for the Grizzlies too, another skill he developed during his time with the Pistons. So far this season, he's averaging about 10 points per game while shooting 60% from the field and 50% from three (on 2 attempts per game). The efficiency stands out, although the sample size is obviously still very small. Most of his buckets have been assisted, which should come as no surprise.
In order to prove the Pistons wrong, Stewart would have to add some additional elements like more creation or significantly improved shooting to his game. That hasn't come to fruition yet. The Pistons knew he could typically finish easy short roll opportunities and shoot decently well on wide-open threes, but he hasn't become a substantial threat beyond those opportunities.
The Pistons are happy with their decision
Detroit would rather see further growth from their remaining young players. That has been the case for some other Pistons this season, such as Ausar Thompson's increased aggression or Paul Reed's ever-increasing bag of scoring tricks.
Stewart's limitations due to his size and shaky decision-making were always going to be potential offensive liabilities for the Pistons in the playoffs. He's not big enough to finish through strong contests on his rolls or skilled enough to avoid reaching hands from active perimeter defenders. Even though his offense can look passable and even great at times in the regular season, it doesn't have the foundation to carry over effectively into the playoffs.
The Pistons realized all of this before trading him, especially after his decline in last season's playoffs. Until Stewart shows something to suggest his playoff ceiling has improved, trading him will continue to be the right decision with Reed on the team.
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