Most Detroit Pistons fans have spent the last 12 hours trying to find silver linings in the Jaden Ivey situation after it was reported he’d miss at least the first four weeks of the season.
The Pistons have been in this exact scenario before and do have obvious short-term solutions if Ivey is truly only out for four weeks.
But we know how this goes, as the Pistons are as cagey about injuries as any team in the league, so if they say Ivey is going to be “re-evaluated” in four weeks, it may be some time after that before he’s actually ready to play.
His re-evaluation will be in the middle of November and even if he is fully cleared to play, it’s going to take time to ramp back into shape and get some reps with his teammates, so we may not see Ivey until December or even later.
Given that Ivey is one of the Pistons’ biggest trade assets, this injury should dampen trade talks and make their biggest midseason acquisition obvious.
Jaden Ivey will give the Pistons a boost later in the season
Ivey is one of the key pieces in all of these superstar trade proposals we’ve seen that include the Pistons, chatter that should quiet now that he’s injured.
It’s hard to see a team envisioning Ivey as the centerpiece of a trade if he’s fresh off an injury and hasn’t played much before the deadline. Hopefully, that won’t be the case, Ivey will be back sometime in November and be humming along shortly after.
Either way, it seems less likely he’ll be included in a trade, which means Ivey could be the biggest midseason addition for the Pistons.
Cade Cunningham looks so good right now, it may not matter if the Pistons are missing Ivey for a few weeks, as they should be able to stay above water even without him.
But he’ll be back at some point, which will be a nice offensive boost for the Pistons and give them another weapon.
Obviously, it’s a weapon we were hoping to have from the beginning of the season, but the Pistons can at least look forward to an impact addition at some point when Ivey returns.
I am grasping at straws here and feel awful for Ivey, who has to be the most frustrated player in the Pistons locker room right now, as he’s aching to be out there with his teammates but has been delayed.
It changes things to start the season, but Ivey’s return will give the Pistons an offensive and morale boost that could end up being one of the league’s most impactful additions.