The Detroit Pistons roster will look much different when the regular season rolls around in October.
Trajan Langdon made the tough decision to move on from several key pieces from last year's top-seeded Pistons' squad, with the most notable names including Tobias Harris, Caris LeVert, and even Marcus Sasser.
Arguably the most notable departure, though, is former first-round pick Isaiah Stewart, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for a much lower price than anyone expected.
The sudden decision to offload Stewart with no real return made it feel like the decision could have been a precursor move to a bigger trade on the horizon, but fast forward to now, midway through July, Detroit has yet to make a splash that warrants moving on from Stewart, especially since several other teams had reported interest in the big man.
However, in the latest scoop of intel from The Athletic's Hunter Patterson, the behind-the-scenes issues add much-needed clarity on why the Pistons opted to move on from Stewart so quickly, outside of the obvious financial freedom the move offered.
Tension between Isaiah Stewart and the Pistons was heating up
In the report from Patterson, the insider dropped plenty of information on what led to Detroit cutting ties with their former draft pick.
According to Patterson, Stewart had multiple heated moments with the coaching staff, specifically in the playoffs, that caught the attention of the Pistons' regime.
There's no doubt that trading Stewart didn't just stem from the fact that his production fell off a cliff when the postseason came around, but between that and the frustrations behind the scenes, it became obvious that a change of scenery made the most sense for all parties.
Stewart proved to be a key representation of the physicality the historic franchise covets in their players, and over the years, he's become a fan favorite solely because of his willingness to do the dirty work and stand up for his teammates every chance he got.
However, when his play dipped and Paul Reed began to prove more impactful, the writing was on the wall for Detroit to test the trade market this offseason.
All that to say, looking back at the deal now, the Pistons essentially moved up in the first round to select Ebuka Okorie, while also shedding $15 million for much-needed financial flexibility, and it only cost them Stewart, whom the team decided needed to be moved this offseason.
With the added context of what led to the move, it's fair to say Langdon's decision to trade Stewart for the price he did makes much more sense now than it did at the time.
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