Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons forward and center Isaiah Stewart is no longer facing an assault charge for his role in an altercation with the Phoenix Suns' Drew Eubanks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Baxter Holmes.

An assault charge filed in Phoenix against Stewart was dismissed, according to a Phoenix Municipal Court filing obtained by ESPN.

During the altercation prior to a game on Feb. 14, the two were arguing when Stewart threw a punch that connected with Eubanks' face, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Stewart was then arrested for assault, cited and released by the Phoenix Police Department.

The NBA announced Thursday that Stewart would be suspended for three games without pay for the incident.

The NBA said Stewart's suspension was for "initiating a physical altercation," during which he "punched and pushed Eubanks." According to Charania, the league had viewed video of the incident.

Both teams responded to Stewart's arrest. The Suns stated they "unequivocally support Drew, and will continue to work with local law enforcement and the NBA." The Pistons also said they were responding to the league and local authorities.

Stewart's suspension will begin with the next game he is healthy enough to play in.

Although Stewart has missed eight straight games with an ankle sprain, the NBA said the suspension is expected to start with Thursday's road game against the Indiana Pacers. The Athletic's James L. Edwards III reported earlier this week that Stewart "could be available" to play Thursday if not suspended.

Stewart was set to attend an arraignment proceeding Friday at Phoenix Municipal Court. That will no longer take place, according to Holmes.

The Pistons big man previously received a two-game suspension in 2021 for "repeatedly and aggressively pursuing" Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James during an on-court altercation. James also received a one-game suspension for "recklessly hitting" Stewart.

Stewart also received a technical foul in January 2023 after scuffling with the Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green.

Stewart is averaging 11.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 35 appearances with the Pistons. He is in the final year of his current contract before the four-year, $64 million extension he signed with the Pistons in 2023 kicks in.

The Detroit Pistons will be without Isaiah Stewart for the next three games.

The NBA has suspended Stewart three games without pay following his altercation with Phoenix Suns forward Drew Eubanks on Feb. 14 prior to a game at Footprint Center, the league announced Thursday.

Stewart is not eligible to return to the lineup until Feb. 27 against the Chicago Bulls.

Stewart was arrested and issued a citation for allegedly punching Eubanks in the back tunnels of Phoenix's arena prior to Detroit's 116-100 loss. Police ended up having to separate the two, and Stewart was eventually released.

The Athletic's Shams Charania and James L Edwards III reported at the time that Stewart and Eubanks "were going chest-to-chest before a swing to Eubanks' lip area connected."

The news of Stewart's suspension comes after Charania reported Wednesday on FanDuel TV's Run it Back that the had NBA reviewed footage of the incident. He added that "multiple sources" who viewed the footage said that Eubanks "really didn't flinch, he took it and stood there stone-cold."

"There is video, the security, Phoenix, they've seen it, the league has seen it too," Charania said. "The people that I've spoken to that have seen it, have shown that yeah, Drew Eubanks was punched in the face, Isaiah Stewart dropped his bags and delivered a punch."

Stewart was originally due in Phoenix Municipal Court on Friday on a misdemeanor assault charge, but ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported Thursday that the charge has been dismissed.

Stewart has started 34 of 35 games for Detroit this season and is averaging 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 47.0 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from deep.

The 22-year-old is under contract through 2026-27 with a player option for 2027-28 after agreeing to a four-year, $64 million extension in July.

With Stewart out of the lineup for the next three games, the Pistons will turn to Jalen Duren and James Wiseman to take on some more playing time in the frontcourt.

Detroit enters Thursday's game against the Indiana Pacers with the worst record in the NBA at 8-46.

The confrontation between Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart and Phoenix Suns forward Drew Eubanks that resulted in Stewart being arrested reportedly was caught on camera, and the footage was reviewed by the NBA.

"There is video, the security, Phoenix, they've seen it, the league has seen it too," Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Wednesday. "The people that I've spoken to that have seen it, have shown that yeah, Drew Eubanks was punched in the face, Isaiah Stewart dropped his bags and delivered a punch."

Charania noted that "multiple sources" who saw the Feb. 14 video told him that Eubanks "really didn't flinch, he took it and stood there stone-cold" before he and Stewart were separated by security. Stewart was taken into custody and received a citation before being released without having to serve jail time. He's scheduled for an appearance in Phoenix Municipal Court on a misdemeanor assault charge on Feb. 23.

Despite the ongoing legal issue, The Athletic's James L. Edwards III reported that Stewart "could be available" to play in Thursday's matchup against the Indiana Pacers because "a resolution to his legal case is not expected before Thursday's game and the league's ongoing review of the situation is not expected to net a suspension by Thursday's game."

The likely scenario is that the league will wait until after Stewart's legal case is resolved before rendering its decision on potential discipline for him.

Stewart has started 34 out of his 35 appearances for the Pistons, who have the league's worst record at 8-46. The fourth-year big man is averaging 11.0 points and 6.8 rebounds this season.

If Stewart is issued a suspension, his absence will open up more playing time in the frontcourt for Jalen Duren and James Wiseman.

Amid his ongoing legal issue, Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart reportedly could return to the court sooner than expected.

According to The Athletic's James L. Edwards III, Stewart "could be available" to play in Thursday's game against the Indiana Pacers, which takes place a little over a week after he was arrested on Feb. 14 for allegedly punching Phoenix Suns center Drew Eubanks.

Stewart was issued a citation and returned to Detroit with the team on the night of the incident. Edwards noted that sources said "a resolution to his legal case is not expected before Thursday's game and the league's ongoing review of the situation is not expected to net a suspension by Thursday's game."

Stewart is scheduled for a court appearance on a misdemeanor assault charge on Feb. 23 in Phoenix Municipal Court. However, Edwards reported that he will not have to physically make the appearance and will instead be represented by his lawyer. If he is found guilty, he is likely to face "a fine worth a couple of hundred dollars and would not serve any jail time," a criminal defense attorney told Edwards.

Eubanks said he and Stewart exchanged words in the parking lot of the Footprint Center Arena in Phoenix and got in each other's faces before Stewart "sucker punched" him. Eubanks still played in the game and had six points and six rebounds off the bench as the Suns earned a 116-100 win. Stewart was already sidelined with an ankle injury and wasn't expected to return until after the All-Star break.

The league is likely to wait until Stewart's legal case is resolved before making its decision on discipline for him, per Edwards.

Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart will have a Feb. 23 court date at the Phoenix Municipal Court after being charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching Phoenix Suns center Drew Eubanks ahead of Wednesday's matchup between the teams, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Stewart was arrested and given a citation before being released from custody. Eubanks was not arrested.

The alleged incident took place near the tunnels of the Footprint Center, as Eubanks was entering the arena. He was still wearing street clothes at the time.

"Basically we were walking in, words were said, and then got face-to-face and he just sucker-punched me," he told reporters. "Security got in the way."

"The attack on Drew Eubanks was unprovoked, and acts of violence such as this are unacceptable," the Suns said in a statement after the game, a 116-100 victory for the Suns. "We unequivocally support Drew, and will continue to work with local law enforcement and the NBA."

Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams pushed back on the "unprovoked" aspect of that statement, however.

"The thing is to get all of the information. The NBA will do an investigation," he told reporters. "For me to come here and make a statement would be a bit irresponsible. I know the Suns said it was unprovoked; I think that is irresponsible for sure. You really don't know. That did not need to happen. There is a time for the information to be gathered, and then you can make a statement."

Charania and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reported that Stewart and Eubanks "were extra aggressive with each other and verbally sparring throughout" a Nov. 5 matchup between the teams.

Stewart, 22, was suspended for two games back in 2021 after getting into an altercation with LeBron James. He had to repeatedly be held back by teammates, coaches and officials as he attempted to further escalate that situation.

It remains to be seen what type of punishment the NBA—which is officially reviewing the matter itself—will levy, or if any suspension or fine will be determined before the legal process runs its course.

Evan Fournier reportedly won't get a contract buyout from the Detroit Pistons, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

"While some around the league wondered if Fournier could hit the free agent market after landing with a rebuilding Detroit team, the Pistons have indicated they plan to keep the Frenchman, HoopsHype has learned," Scotto wrote.

Fournier was traded to the Pistons from the New York Knicks ahead of last week's NBA trade deadline and has already taken on a much bigger role with his new team. While playing for New York in the first half of the season, the shooting guard appeared in just three games, playing 13 minutes per game in those showings.

Since being traded to Detroit, Fournier has been playing 25 minutes per game off the bench, putting up 11.5 points and four rebounds per game.

Before he was traded, Fournier had been eager to get a bigger role—whether in New York or with another team. After the trade, he made it clear he was excited to no longer be playing for the Knicks.

"I'm really excited to finally be out of New York, so looking forward to a new opportunity," he said in the days following the trade.

Fournier joined New York ahead of the 2021 season and had a big first year with the team, putting up 14.1 points per game and starting in 80 contests. The 2022-23 campaign saw him slip out of head coach Tom Thibodeau's lineup with new guards Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart on the squad, and after that, he took on a smaller role with the Knicks.

Fournier has been a valuable scoring option throughout his career, though. He averaged a career-high 19.7 points per game in his final season with the Magic in 2020-21 and put up similar numbers in the years prior.

Now, the 31-year-old will be looking for success with his new team. The Pistons are not going to be contending for a championship this season, but having a veteran guard in Fournier could be valuable for Detroit's young core as it continues to develop.

Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart was arrested and issued a citation for allegedly punching Phoenix Suns center Drew Eubanks on Wednesday, Phoenix police said.

Stewart was subsequently released by police.

The NBA is reviewing the altercation between the Pistons big man and the Suns veteran in the back tunnels of Phoenix's arena, which was first reported by The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

Stewart allegedly punched Eubanks, and the league is expected to receive footage of the incident to review, per Charania. It's unclear what started the altercation.

Stewart and Eubanks "were going chest-to-chest before a swing to Eubanks' lip area connected," Charania and James L. Edwards III reported. "Police needed to get involved to separate the two and have inspected the scene," they added.

Eubanks was out warming up after the altercation.

"The attack on Drew Eubanks was unprovoked, and acts of violence such as this are unacceptable," the Suns said in a statement, according to Duane Rankin of Arizona Central. "We unequivocally support Drew, and will continue to work with local law enforcement and the NBA."

The Pistons were visiting the Suns on Wednesday night at Footprint Center in Phoenix. The two teams played their first matchup of the season in November at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Stewart, who hasn't played since a Jan. 28 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an ankle injury, is with the Pistons on their Western Conference road trip as he gears up for a return to play following the All-Star break.

The 22-year-old is averaging 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 35 games this season while shooting 47.0 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from beyond the arc. He is in his fourth NBA season.

Eubanks, 27, is in his sixth NBA season and first in Phoenix. He's averaging 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 48 games while shooting 63.7 percent from the field.

Evan Fournier had been itching to be traded away from the New York Knicks for some time, and finally got his wish ahead of this season's NBA trade deadline after he was acquired by the Detroit Pistons in the deal that sent Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks to the Big Apple.

Suffice to say, Fournier was grateful for the change in scenery.

"I'm really excited to finally be out of New York, so looking forward to a new opportunity," he told reporters on Monday.

Fournier told a French radio station back in September that he just wanted the chance to play after falling out of Tom Thibodeau's rotation last season (h/t Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News):

I'm still in New York at the moment. I want to leave. But beyond leaving, I want to have the opportunity to get some playing time back. That's all. That's mostly it. Because in New York, I feel extremely good. I love living there, I love the franchise, I love playing at Madison [Square Garden], I love the guys on the team. So I just want to play, that's all. It's true that finding another club, changing franchises, if that's what you have to do to play again, that's what I would like to do.

Even earlier, back in May, he told reporters that there was "no way" the Knicks would bring him back for the 2023-24 season.

Except they did, and he again was relegated to the back of the rotation, appearing in just three games overall for the Knicks this season.

"I don't have the opportunity to play and even worse, I feel like I'm being held hostage," Fournier noted in September, a feeling that likely didn't change until he was dealt. "I hope this situation will resolve itself and I especially hope that the Knicks will give me a chance."

Thibodeau's response to Fournier's September comments made it obvious that the veteran Frenchman was likely out of the head coach's plans for good.

"I didn't come into (last) season thinking we were going to do the things that we did. We did it because we didn't have success one way," he told reporters. "So, we adjusted and then the next group that went in, it's hard to argue with (a) 37-22 (record) with a plus-5 net rating. So, it is what it is."

It's also hard to argue with this season's 33-20 mark. The Knicks have been busy this season, landing OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn in a December trade that sent RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick back to the Toronto Raptors.

The Knicks stayed busy last week, bringing aboard Bogdanović and Burks. That left them with a very strong potential postseason rotation of Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Mitchell Robinson, Anunoby, Bogdanović, Burks, Josh Hart, Achiuwa and Isaiah Hartenstein.

That's a deep and talented group. Fournier deserved a change in scenery, and it remains to be seen if he'll get an additional one on the buyout market or if the Pistons will keep him as a veteran presence to help guide the young core for the remainder of the season.

But at least he's free from the Knicks.

The Detroit Pistons are waiving forward Danilo Gallinari, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III.

Gallinari will begin meeting with teams Friday, according to Charania.

Gallinari was dealt from the Washington Wizards to Detroit on Jan. 14 as part of a four-player trade involving Marvin Bagley III.

Through 26 games with the Wizards and six with the Pistons, Gallinari is averaging 7.3 points per game this season, marking his lowest production rate since his rookie 2008-09 campaign.

Gallinari was averaging 14.8 minutes per night while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from behind the arc prior to being waived.

This was Gallinari's 14th NBA season and marked his return from the offseason ACL surgery that cost him the entirety of his 2022-23 campaign with the Boston Celtics.

At age 35 and coming off of major surgery, it is likely Gallinari's time on the court will remain limited on his next team, but there is hope his production could continue to increase off the bench.

Following solid outings with the Pistons, including his first 20-ball of the season during a Jan. 31 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Forbes Sports' Evan Sidery predicted that playoff contenders would "aggressively" pursue Gallinari in free agency.

After exercising a player option with the Celtics in June 2023, Gallinari costs $6.8 million against the cap this season.

That cap hit will remain on the Pistons' books if Gallinari, who did not travel to Portland for the team's Thursday night matchup against the Trail Blazers, goes unclaimed on waivers and enters free agency.

The 7-43 Pistons are amidst a roster overhaul, having also released guard Killian Hayes as well as waiving forward Joe Harris and forward Danuel House. The team is additionally expected to waive Ryan Arcidiacono, per Edwards.

The Detroit Pistons have the worst record in the NBA, but they are firmly under the spotlight approaching Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers have discussed trades for both Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks with the Pistons. However, Fischer also noted "all signs point to the Knicks still being involved with the Pistons, after the Sixers found no progress."

New York and Philadelphia are currently lined up to play each other in the first round of the playoffs, with the Knicks holding on to the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and the 76ers 2.5 games back for the No. 5 seed.

That adds another layer of intrigue to trade talks involving both of them, and New York could take another step toward creating more separation if it lands Bogdanović and Burks.

Bogdanović would give the Knicks another go-to scoring option considering he is averaging 20.2 points per game. He is also capable of taking full advantage of the spacing that playing alongside Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle would create, as he has connected on 41.5 percent of his triples this season.

The veteran, who has also played for the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz, has hit 39.5 percent of his three-pointers throughout his career.

As for Burks, he would provide the Knicks with more depth and versatility on the wing. He is averaging 12.6 points per game this season and can also take advantage of open looks from beyond the arc with his 40.1 percent mark from three-point range.

New York is also familiar with what he brings to the table considering he played for the franchise and head coach Tom Thibodeau for two seasons from 2020 to 2022.

Like Bogdanović, Burks has made a number of stops in his career and has suited up for the Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, 76ers, Knicks and Pistons.

Perhaps New York will be the next stop for both of them.