As the conclusion of a season to forget nears for the Detroit Pistons, the team appears to have lost its star rookie for the year.
Pistons forward Ausar Thompson will miss the rest of the 2024 season with a blood clot, according to a Wednesday afternoon report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Thompson, 21, has not played since Detroit’s 142–124 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on March 9. He left that game after just 11 minutes due to an illness.
The No. 5 pick of the 2024 NBA draft has averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 63 contests for the Pistons this season.
Pistons rookie forward Ausar Thompson will miss the remainder of the season while being treated for a blood clot.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 20, 2024
Thompson’s twin brother, forward Amen Thompson, is also in his rookie season for the Houston Rockets.
The injury represents another crushing blow for Detroit, which is in the midst of one of the worst seasons in franchise history. The 12–56 Pistons need to win five of their last 14 games to avoid recording their lowest single-season winning percentage.
