One of the saddest disappointments of the Pistons' tanking era was Isaiah Livers, a hometown hero from his college days. His poor play in Detroit forced the Pistons to trade him, but he's found a new home in Phoenix. The Suns are getting great defense from Livers which has helped round out their rotation nicely.
Isaiah Livers is finally living up to his potential
Livers was highly touted for the Pistons as a second-round pick in 2021. A native of Michigan and an All-Conference selection at the University of Michigan, he was naturally a fan favorite. But he missed a huge chunk of his rookie year with injury and never got on track for the Pistons.
Unlike his draftmate Cade Cunningham, Livers wasn't able to fulfill his potential in Detroit. Livers had been billed as a potential 3-and-D wing coming out of college. But he struggled to either hit outside shots or defend effectively on a tanking Pistons team.
Livers was then traded to the Wizards in a salary dump move for the Pistons. He suffered an injury and was waived before every playing a game for Washington. His hopes at an NBA career seemed to be dwindling before he signed a two-way deal with the Suns in July.
He's made the most of his second chance by being a great bench spark for Phoenix. He's earned the coaching staff's trust by giving full effort on defense whenever he checks in. A defensive resurgence has been the secret to the Suns' unexpected success this season, and Livers is doing his part.
Livers has even earned minutes over more talented players because of his defense and effort. It's clear that the Suns aren't looking for bench players to take over a game with their scoring, but rather maintain the team's strong defensive identity. Fortunately, that's exactly where Livers can excel.
For both Livers and the Pistons, it's a bittersweet story to reach this point. The Pistons would've never expected to be in their current position so soon when they traded away Livers in 2024. And perhaps Livers wouldn't have expected to earn a reliable spot in a playoff-worthy roster so soon either.
Neither side should have any regrets, as it was clear that Livers' time in Detroit had run its course. He definitely needed a change of scenery and perhaps time to recover from lingering injuries to play at his best. Still, Pistons fans will definitely be happy to see success for the local legend.
Against all odds, Isaiah Livers has found another foothold in the NBA. He's still on a two-way contract and his return to the Suns for future seasons isn't guaranteed, but he's doing a good job auditioning for the entire league. Perhaps there's even a potential hometown reunion in the works at some point in the future.