Fans of the Detroit Pistons are holding their collective breath waiting for an injury diagnosis for Jaden Ivey, who had to leave last night’s game on a stretcher after a gruesome lower leg/ankle injury.
The early medical opinions are not positive, and if Ivey has a broken or fractured ankle/leg there is a good chance his season is over, which would be gutting for a young player who was really starting to put it all together.
For the immediate future, the Pistons will likely move Ausar Thompson or Malik Beasley into the starting five and we will to see more of Marcus Sasser. Before exploring anything else, the Pistons may just see how this works out and hope Sasser steps up, as he has shot the ball well this season in a limited and inconsistent role.
It’s tough to think about the business of basketball with Ivey’s season hanging in the balance, but the Pistons will have to move on without him for at least the short term, which may mean making a trade.
Luckily, the trade market has been shaping up in the Pistons’ favor and there are a number of possible replacements they can likely get for second-round draft assets.
Malcolm Brogdon
Brogdon is a veteran on an expiring contract and has played fairly well since returning from injury, averaging 14.3 points, four rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 45 percent from the floor.
His 3-point numbers are down so far (33 percent) but this is a guy who has shot over 39 percent from long range for his career. It likely wouldn’t take much to get him and he doesn’t come with any financial obligations past this season.
Jordan Clarkson
Another veteran who knows how to get buckets off the bench. Clarkson hasn’t been the most efficient this season but he can still go off for big games as he has in his last two, scoring 24 and 25 points.
His contract is team friendly for a guy who gets you 16 points per game off the bench and has just one year past this one at $14 million. He wouldn’t be the worst guy to have on an expiring contract next offseason when the Pistons may be looking to stack contracts (Tobias Harris) to make a big trade.
Bruce Brown
I wrote about Brown recently and am not against the idea of a reunion. He’s not going to replace Ivey’s scoring but he does a little of everything and would give the Pistons more versatility defensively.
He’s on an expiring deal and probably wouldn’t cost the Pistons much more than a second-round pick or two.
Jordan Poole
Poole is quietly having a very good season, shooting over 41 percent from long range on nine attempts per game.
He gives you everything Ivey does offensively as a guy who can hit shots from all over, create for himself and others and hit a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer. He’s also not a good defender, but he’s been on fire of late, scoring 27.8 points per game in his last five and would give the Pistons another legit weapon next to Cade Cunningham.
The problem with Poole is that he has two more years remaining on his contract past this one and he’s not a good fit if Ivey is healthy, as they are very similar players. Would the Pistons really want to commit to Poole past this season? Doubtful.
He’d be a fun addition for a playoff run, but would be the costliest in terms of future money.
The Pistons may just be patient and see how things work out with increased minutes for Thompson, Ron Holland II and Marcus Sasser before doing anything rash and Ivey’s injury may not even change their approach to the trade deadline.