The first-ever meeting between the Detroit Pistons and former guard Jaden Ivey will likely have to wait until next season.
After being benched on Thursday for the first time since joining the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline, Ivey will now be re-evaluated in two weeks due to left knee soreness, according to a team announcement.
Ivey is officially listed as out for Saturday’s matchup between the Pistons and Bulls in Chicago. Barring a surge for the Bulls into the playoff picture, the Pistons won’t see them again this year.
Following the trade that brought Kevin Huerter to Detroit, Ivey got plenty of early court time before the All-Star break with the Bulls. He started 3-of-4 games with the team and was playing nearly 29 minutes per appearance after averaging under 17 a night with Detroit.
Ivey’s numbers ticked up with more usage, but even he admits to being a step behind where he was before a broken left fibula suffered on Jan. 1, 2025. As he rehabbed his way back, Ivey ended up missing the first month of the season after requiring an arthroscopic procedure to relieve right knee discomfort.
Now it appears the left knee is causing problems for the former fifth overall NBA Draft pick.
Not playing on Thursday against the Toronto Raptors was initially played off as “strictly a basketball decision” by acting head coach Wes Unseld Jr. after the game, as the team manages a rotation of six guards.
Ivey then revealed his knee ailment postgame, but said he had still been practicing and didn’t think it would affect his ability to contribute. He didn’t carry an injury designation into Thursday’s game.
Upon the return of coach Billy Donovan — who was away from the team mourning the recent death of his father — he backed Unseld’s decision before the announcement Ivey would be held out for multiple weeks.
“To me, I don’t think (Ivey’s) played at the level that he’s capable of playing at or has played at,” Donovan said Friday “I don’t how much (knee soreness) is affecting him. He was definitely available to play.”
Ivey held similar sentiments that he’s not quite playing up to his best, remarking “the old J.I. is dead” following Chicago’s defeat.
With Ivey set to hit restricted free agency at the end of the season, there’s a chance Detroit’s first time going against him won’t even be with the Bulls. His future is very much up in the air now that he’s missing extended time due to this knee injury.
Pistons get All-Star center back
Detroit made it through Jalen Duren’s two-game suspension unscathed as they beat the Raptors before the All-Star break and took down the New York Knicks on Thursday behind a Cade Cunningham masterclass.
That means Duren is back in the fold and available for Saturday’s game, bringing an All-Star scorer back in the lineup and boosting Detroit’s depth at center.
Paul Reed was critical for the Pistons in both games and excelled as the starting center. He’ll surely still be called upon while Isaiah Stewart finishes out the remaining five games of his suspension.
Despite initially being listed as questionable, two-way center Tolu Smith will be available for Detroit against Chicago. He picked up a right knee contusion after playing almost 19 minutes against the Knicks.
Smith should be good to go and helps round out the center group alongside Duren and Reed.