The No. 5 pick a year ago, Ausar Thompson hasn’t set foot on an NBA court since last March, when a blood clot issue was discovered.
Thompson and the Pistons had been waiting for this news, and it came Monday — Thompson was cleared by the NBA’s Fitness to Play panel (made up of three doctors) and can resume full basketball activities, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association announced (ESPN’s Shams Charania had the news first).
Thompson had been doing conditioning and non-contact drills with the Pistons while he waited for clearance. Now, he can participate in full 5-on-5 workouts and ramp up for a return to the court.
Last season, the rookie Thompson was the Pistons’ best perimeter defender and averaged 8.8 points and 6.4 rebounds a game, but he had work to do on his jump shot (18.6% from 3 on nearly two attempts a game). He will join a Pistons team that is 4-7 on the young season and appears it will be fighting for a play-in spot in the East.
Thompson is the twin brother of the Rockets’ Amen Thompson, who was drafted one spot before Ausar in the 2023 NBA Draft.
