In the wake of recent reporting indicating that veteran wing Isaac Bonga is generating NBA interest, Predrag Saric of the Serbian outlet Meridian Sport identifies the Pistons as the leading suitor for the former second-round pick (hat tip to Eurohoops).
According to Saric, Detroit has been in touch with Bonga about a potential return to the NBA and is working toward reaching a deal to bring him back stateside for the 2026/27 season.
Saric cautions that it’s not a done deal yet and notes that Bonga remains under contract with Partizan Belgrade for the time being. However, Bonga’s deal with KK Partizan reportedly includes an opt-out clause worth $875K and Saric suggests that the 26-year-old German is likely to exercise that out this summer and officially join the Pistons in July, assuming the two sides come to an agreement on a new contract.
The 39th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Bonga spent four seasons in the NBA from 2018-22, appearing in 143 total regular season games for the Lakers, Wizards, and Raptors during that time. He averaged 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game in those four seasons, with a shooting line of .432/.300/.759.
Since 2022, Bonga has been playing in Europe, first with Bayern Munich in Germany (2022-24) and more recently with Partizan (2024-26). The versatile 6’9″ forward has won domestic titles with both teams and was voted the Best Defensive Player in the ABA League in 2025. He also won gold medals with the German national team at the World Cup in 2023 and EuroBasket in 2025.
In 38 EuroLeague games in 2025/26, Bonga averaged 9.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 1.5 APG in 27.8 MPG. He has also been a little more reliable from long distance since joining Partizan, making 116-of-303 three-pointers (38.3%).
The Pistons currently only have about $109.5MM in guaranteed money on their books for 2026/27, so they’ll have some spending flexibility this summer. However, that figure doesn’t account for new deals for Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, or any other free agents.