The Detroit Pistons’ Ausar Thompson is reportedly set to return to the NBA. Thompson, 21, has played for the Pistons as a shooting guard and small forward since 2023. He was selected as the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. His previous professional basketball stints included Team Elite from 2021 to 2022 and City Reapers from 2022 to 2023.
Ausar’s journey to the NBA is rather unorthodox, but he eventually made it to the league — and that’s all that matters. The Oakland, California, native was raised in San Leandro, Calif., and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he attended Pine Crest School and played high school basketball, like his identical twin brother, Amen Thompson, a year earlier. Here’s what you need to know about Ausar’s return.
Thompson’s Health
Thompson struggled with his three-point shot in his rookie season, making just 19 percent of his attempts. However, he struggled from beyond the arc. But he could still produce offensively on the floor. He made 48 percent of his field goal attempts, averaging nine points per game.
Thompson’s health has been a topic of interest to the general public. His illness has sidelined him since March 2024. Not much has been reported about the situation until Veterans Day 2024, which was arguably appropriate, as the Pistons had an off day on November 11, 2024. A much-needed day off for a Pistons team trying to avoid a two-game losing skid during the holiday week.
ESPN’s Shams Charania tweeted on X, “Detroit Pistons G/F Ausar Thompson has been cleared to play by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel, sources told ESPN. He has been sidelined since March due to a blood clot issue and will now begin ramping up and preparing to make his season debut in near future.” Before the depressing diagnosis, Thompson averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 48.3% from the field goal line in the early 2024-25 NBA season. Ausar’s stats weren’t attention-grabbers, but still serviceable.
His Return
Thompson’s much-anticipated return to the NBA is projected to delight Detroit Pistons and NBA fans in general. His blood clot was serious, and he needed to take some time off from professional basketball. This positive news story surrounding Ausar’s recovery has been in the making for a while. Negative news stories about the Pistons forward’s workouts have been frequently repeated while the team awaited word from the NBA Players’ Association (NBAPA). He was finally cleared to play.
Thompson Prepares
While it’s unclear is if Thompson will play in Tuesday night’s game between the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat to open the Emirates NBA Cup’s Group Stage. Sources have confirmed that he has been preparing to make his season debut for the Pistons. The Pistons vs. Heat game will be played at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Until further confirmation, Thompson’s upcoming return as a Detroit Piston had some fans taking to social media to share their reactions to the positive news. One fan wrote on X, “The Ausar/Holland era begins” referring to Thompson and fellow forward Ron Holland. Holland, 19, is a Duncanville, Texas, native who was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Pistons. Holland’s previous stints included the NBA G League Ignite from 2023 and 2024 and Duncanville High School (Duncanville, Texas) from 2019 to 2023.
Only time will tell if the Thompson and Holland era begins in Detroit, but it’s pleasant to see optimistic fans on social media for now. Ausar’s preparations might take a few days to weeks, so it’s important to wait and see how things play out. We’ll watch for further updates on this developing news story, though.
