Detroit Pistons' Ausar Thompson (blood clot), Isaiah Stewart (hamstring) out for season
Two key contributors to the Detroit Pistons' young core will miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Pistons announced rookie wing Ausar Thompson and fourth-year big man Isaiah Stewart will miss the rest of the season. Thompson will remain out while receiving treatment for a blood clot, while Stewart is out with a right hamstring strain.
Ausar Thompson will miss the rest of the season while being treated for a blood clot, Pistons announce.
Isaiah Stewart (right hamstring strain) is also out for the season. pic.twitter.com/HjjFeB6xvI— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) March 20, 2024
Thompson, who was selected by the Pistons No. 5 overall in the 2023 draft, has been out of the lineup since March 9 with what was originally described as an illness, missing five games. He will miss the final 14 games of the season after being one of the bright spots in a miserable Pistons season that's resulted in 12 wins through 68 games so far.
In 63 appearances this season, Thompson averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 48.3% from the field and 18.6% from 3-point range. On top of adding athleticism and cutting on the offensive end, Thompson was the team's best perimeter defender, averaging 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while often times taking on the toughest defensive assignments.
In the announcement, the team said Thompson has been cleared to resume conditioning by team doctors and will begin "non-basketball activities" following the end of the Pistons' season. The team said he will gradually ramp up work over the summer to prepare for a full return at the start of the 2024-25 season.
Stewart will finish his fourth NBA season with 46 appearances after straining his hamstring in the loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday. Stewart took on the role of starting power forward in the frontcourt alongside Jalen Duren this season, averaging 10.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 48.7% from the field and 38.3% from 3. Stewart spent a considerable amount of time on the injury report this season, missing games with ankle, toe and shoulder injuries, as well as a suspension following the All-Star break due to an altercation with Drew Eubanks of the Phoenix Suns.
Stewart has missed 68 games over the last two seasons.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons' Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart out for rest of season
