- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The Detroit Pistons selected center Ugonna Onyenso with the 53rd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, hoping the 22-year-old from Owerri, Nigeria, can develop into a long-term replacement for Isaiah Stewart.
Onyenso's path to the league was hardly assured. After averaging just 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds across 24 games at Kansas State, he believed his professional hopes had vanished. He revived his prospects at Virginia, where he posted 6.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while earning ACC All-Defensive team honors.
The draft rights to Onyenso traveled from Houston to New York before Detroit acquired them for cash considerations. The Bucks had also shown interest, texting Onyenso's agent that they would select him 60th if available.
Stewart was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for three future second-round picks, opening a spot in Detroit's frontcourt. Senegalese G League assistant Assane Sene, a fellow Virginia alum who began playing in Africa, is working with Pistons big men during the preseason. Sene has cited Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach as an example for Onyenso to follow.
Detroit opens its season against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Little Caesars Arena. Onyenso emphasized what he offers at the professional level, saying he feels his defense is what he brings on the floor defensively.
Source: ESPN - Mon Oct 19, 6:58 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).