NBA
AT
#9

Ausar Thompson

Forward · Detroit Pistons · 6'7", 205 lb · Born Jan 30, 2003 · Oakland, California · Drafted 5th overall, 2023
All-Defensive 1st Team (2026)Steals leaderDetroit PistonsTwin of Amen
NBADetroit PistonsForwards
Compare:vs Cunninghamvs Jenkinsvs Robinsonvs Joevs Durenvs Green
In short

Ausar Thompson is a freakishly athletic two-way wing for the Detroit Pistons and the 2026 NBA All-Defensive First Team selection. The identical twin of Houston's Amen Thompson, he skipped college via Overtime Elite and was drafted 5th overall in 2023. After a blood clot ended his rookie year, he returned to lead the NBA in steals (3.7 per game) in 2025-26 — the first Piston named All-Defensive First Team since Ben Wallace.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceFri, Nov 13
@Dallas MavericksAggressive hedge & help
Proj. points
10
range 7.3–12.7
Line 10
50%
to go over
Team win
40%
111–113
Poi 10 Lean underReb 5.7 OverAss 3.1 Lean overPRA 18.8 Lean over
Likely on himCooper Flagg· 76 Perimeter DSolid defender
10+ pts50%15+ pts5%

Model lines Thompson at 10 pts (range 7.3–12.7) vs a 10 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (50%).

Model favors Dallas Mavericks (60%), projected 111–113, ~224 total at 97.4 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Thompson
The Thompson Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

A survivor and a defensive freak — who came back from a blood clot to lead the NBA in steals.

Ausar and his identical twin Amen skipped college via Overtime Elite; Detroit took Ausar 5th in 2023, one pick after Houston took Amen.

👬 Overtime Elite5th, 2023

He blocked five shots in his NBA debut — a teenage record — before a blood clot ended his rookie season.

🚫 5 blocks · debut🩸 Blood clot

He returned to lead the NBA in steals at 3.7 a game and make All-Defensive First Team — the first Piston since Ben Wallace.

🔒 3.7 steals · led NBAFirst since Ben Wallace

The defensive engine of Detroit's 60-win turnaround, his ceiling now rides on a developing jumper.

60-win engine9.9 / 5.7 / 3.1
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
9.9
2025-26
RPG
5.7
per game
APG
3.1
per game
FG%
.525
.250 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

A game-changing defensive athlete — the steals-leading, All-Defensive twin at the heart of Detroit's turnaround.

Ausar XLNC Thompson (his middle name means 'excellence') was born in California and raised in San Leandro, then Fort Lauderdale, where he starred at Pine Crest. He and his identical twin, Amen, bypassed college through Overtime Elite; Detroit drafted Ausar 5th overall in 2023, one pick after Houston took Amen — the first brothers ever selected in a draft's top five.

His NBA debut featured five blocks — a record for a teenage debut — but a blood clot ended his rookie 2023-24 season. He returned to become one of the league's best defenders, leading the NBA in steals at 3.7 per game in 2025-26 and earning All-Defensive First Team, the first Piston so honored since Ben Wallace, as Detroit won 60 games.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

The Thompson twins are one of basketball's great stories: identical brothers, born about a minute apart, who trained together, played together at Overtime Elite, and went back-to-back near the top of the 2023 draft to become NBA defenders on rival teams. Their family is athletic through and through — an older brother, Troy Jr., played at Prairie View A&M, and an uncle, Mark, ran the 400-meter hurdles at the 1992 Olympics.

Ausar's identity is defense and athleticism taken to an extreme, and his career already carries a survivor's arc: a blood clot shut down his rookie season, and he came back to lead the league in steals. On a Pistons team rebuilt around Cade Cunningham, he is the defensive engine — the 'game-changer,' as the Detroit News put it — whose two-way ceiling depends on a developing jump shot.

PERSONALITY

The person

An explosive, instinctive defensive playmaker — a game-changing athlete still building his offense.

Elite defenderLed the NBA in steals (3.7); All-Defensive First Team (2026).
Freak athleteFive blocks in his NBA debut — a record for a teenage debut.
TwinIdentical twin of Houston's Amen Thompson.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Two-Way Wing · Defensive Menace
Temperament
Connector
Leadership
64/100
Scoring56
Playmaking58
Rebounding66
Perimeter D90
Rim protection48
Spacing30
Athleticism92
Clutch60
Elite defenderTransition athleteVersatile
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

A defense unto himself

Thompson led the NBA in steals at 3.7 a game and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting — the first Piston named All-Defensive First Team since Ben Wallace, the franchise's defensive gold standard. His combination of length, elite vertical athleticism, and instincts lets him guard one through four, block shots as a wing, and ignite Detroit's transition game. He is the defensive spine of a 60-win team.

The shot that unlocks stardom

The one clear limitation is shooting: at 25% from three in 2025-26, defenses sag off him, which crowds the floor around Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. His finishing (52% overall) and playmaking (3.1 assists) are useful, but a reliable jumper is the difference between elite role player and two-way star. Given his work ethic and the blood-clot comeback, betting against his development would be unwise.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-267326.09.95.73.1.525.250

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2026Led NBA in steals (3.7); All-Defensive First Team — first Piston since Ben Wallace
DebutFive blocks in his NBA debut — a record for a teenager
DraftHe and twin Amen were the first brothers taken in a draft's top five (2023)

Hardware

1×
All-Defensive First Team (2026)
1×
NBA steals leader (2026)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 12, 2026

The defensive engine of a 60-win team — an All-Defensive athlete whose jumper is the last piece.

Still on his rookie deal, Thompson is one of the league's best young defenders — a steals leader and All-Defensive First Team wing at 23. If his three-point shot develops, he becomes a genuine two-way star; even without it, he anchors a contending defense.

Perimeter defenseElite
AthleticismElite
PlaymakingGood
Three-point shotThe project

Contract

Status
Rookie deal value
Role
Defensive engine two-way
Age
23 rising
Bottom line

A survivor and a defensive freak who led the NBA in steals. The jumper is the only thing between him and two-way stardom — and betting against his development would be a mistake.

FAQ

Quick answers

Is Ausar Thompson related to Amen Thompson?

Yes — they are identical twins; Ausar plays for Detroit and Amen for Houston, and they were the first brothers taken in a draft's top five (2023).

What did Ausar Thompson achieve in 2025-26?

He led the NBA in steals (3.7 per game) and made All-Defensive First Team — the first Piston so honored since Ben Wallace.

What is Ausar Thompson's biggest weakness?

Perimeter shooting — he shot 25% from three in 2025-26, the swing skill between elite role player and two-way star.