Will Isaiah Stewart play on Thursday when the Pistons return from All-Star break?

The Detroit Pistons will travel to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, Feb. 22 when they return from the All-Star break, but will they have big man Isaiah Stewart at their disposal following his recent arrest?

Per The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III (subscription required), Stewart “could be available to play” against the Pacers despite his scuffle with Drew Eubanks before Detroit’s Feb. 14 contest against the Phoenix Suns.

Stewart and Eubanks’ skirmish stems from an incident before the game, inside the parking lot of Phoenix’s Footprint Arena, where the two got into a disagreement that ultimately escalated to a physical altercation in which the former “sucker punched” the latter.

The Phoenix Police Department arrested Stewart on misdemeanor assault charges. He wasn’t playing regardless due to an ankle injury. However, it seems like the ailment has healed and won’t force him to miss another game out of the All-Star break, and neither will his recent arrest barring any updates from his pending court date on Feb. 23 at Phoenix Municipal Court.

Isaiah Stewart update: NBA waiting for legal process to play out

Edwards notes that the NBA likely won’t inflict punishment on anyone involved until “the legal process plays out.”

Josh Kolsrud, a Phoenix criminal defense attorney for Kolsrud Law Offices, said that if Stewart is ultimately found guilty, the penalty shouldn’t be more substantial than a fine “worth a couple of hundred dollars” and that he won’t be sentenced to jail.

While we know what happened and when it occurred, we still don’t have an idea of why the dispute got physical. Stewart has yet to speak on the matter publicly, while Eubanks and the Suns continue to make comments aimed at the former for his actions.

Beef Stew missed Detroit’s last six games before the All-Star break due to his ankle injury, but looks primed to return to the lineup after having a few weeks of rest.