Isaiah Stewart Arrested, Cited for Drew Eubanks Punch: What We Know

Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart was arrested, issued a citation and released after he punched Phoenix Suns center Drew Eubanks on Wednesday, police said, before the Pistons and the Suns faced off in Phoenix.

Stewart and the Pistons were at the tail end of a grueling road trip on the West Coast, and both teams were preparing to play their final game before the All-Star break. Stewart had been ruled out already with a left ankle sprain.

The 22-year-old center was the 16th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. Eubanks, 27, has spent five years in the NBA playing for three different NBA franchises.

Newsweek reached out for comment to Stewart on Thursday morning via social media.

Here is everything we know about Stewart's arrest.

What Does the Police Report Say?

The police report, which was issued Wednesday, listed Stewart as the suspect and Eubanks as the victim. The incident took place around 4:45 p.m. in the parking lot when police who were working security during the Suns' game were called to separate Stewart and Eubanks during a fight.

After on-duty officers arrived, they spoke to the players and witnesses, and they determined that after an argument between the two players, Stewart escalated the situation by punching Eubanks, according to the report. He was then arrested on an accusation of assault.

The investigation is still active.

What Did the Players Say?

Stewart has not yet addressed the situation publicly.

Eubanks told reporters before the game that "words were said" as he was walking into the arena.

"Got sucker punched and security stepped in and that was it," Eubanks said, adding that he was "straight" and that Stewart threw a "soft" punch.

What Did the Teams Say?

Suns coach Frank Vogel told reporters there is "no place for anything like that in our game."

Suns star Kevin Durant, meanwhile, called the situation "unfortunate."

"It's supposed to be a brotherhood, but also understand dudes get into stuff and stuff may happen," Durant said. "You try to avoid that in this league, but stuff happens. Hopefully, we can move on from it. We're going to support Drew. We've got Drew's back. He'll move past it."

Pistons coach Monty Williams told reporters that he expects the NBA will investigate and that Stewart shared with him his version of what happened.

"For me to come here and make a statement, that would be a bit irresponsible," Williams said. "I know the Suns put out a statement and said it was unprovoked. I think that is irresponsible for them to do that when you really don't know because two sides are giving their story. I think until you find out everything, you can't make those statements.... For me, it's, 'Let's get all the information.'"

The Pistons released a statement to Newsweek saying that they are "aware" of the incident.

"We are in the process of gathering information about what happened and what provoked it, and responding to the NBA and local authorities," the team said via a spokesperson.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the Suns by email.

What Are the Ramifications?

Earlier this season, Draymond Green was suspended indefinitely after flailing his arms and hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face. The length of Green's suspension was tied to his history of similar actions during games.

While off-court incidents are often treated differently, Stewart has gotten into multiple on-court altercations during his career, including a high-profile scuffle with LeBron James in 2021. In a November game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Pistons, James swung his arm and smacked Stewart in the face with his hand.

A bloodied Stewart made multiple attempts to get to James, bowling over team personnel, which earned him an ejection and a two-game suspension. James was ejected and given a one-game suspension for "recklessly hitting Stewart in the face and initiating an on-court altercation."

How Has Stewart Played This Year?

Stewart has started 34 of the 35 games in which he appeared this season for the last-place Pistons. He is averaging 11 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

The Pistons have been 8.8 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor vs. off, thanks largely to his defense—they allow 8.2 points per 100 possessions fewer with him on the floor than when he is on the bench, according to the Cleaning the Glass website. That number is the highest total of any Pistons starter.

Update 2/15/24, 4:17 p.m. ET: This story was updated with a statement from the Pistons.