It’s been over a month since Jaden Ivey went down with devastating leg injury and the Detroit Pistons haven’t been the same.
They have amassed an 11-10 record in his absence, but it hasn’t been easy, as Cade Cunningham has been without a consistent scoring partner even though others have stepped up admirably around him.
We saw it last night, when Cade struggled early and the Pistons didn’t have plan B, we’ve seen it in just about every game when Cunningham goes to the bench and the offense grinds to a halt, situations in which having Ivey would have been crucial.
It’s led to a “will they, won’t they” trade deadline where the Pistons are in between worlds, not yet good enough to push in their chips, but too good to do nothing.
The problem is not going away, though there was some amount of positive news in the latest Jaden Ivey update from the Pistons.
Jaden Ivey injury update: The good news and bad for the Detroit Pistons
Pistons PR released this update on Jaden Ivey’s leg injury:
The @DetroitPistons today released the following medical update on guard Jaden Ivey: pic.twitter.com/S1GdMZpmA3
— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) February 6, 2025
The good news is that Jaden Ivey is up and walking around and appears to be making solid progress towards recovery.
He’s been spotted on the Pistons’ bench and can put some light weight on the leg, which is progress. Above all else, getting Ivey fully healthy (however long it takes) has to be the priority here.
The bad news is that he is likely out for the season, as it’s hard to imagine him making the kind of progress necessary in just four weeks to return at full strength and there is no reason to push him.
Four more weeks takes us into March, which would leave the potential open for Ivey to return in the last month and a half, though I would bet against it. The door is open, but just a crack.
I’m sure Trajan Langdon was prepared for this eventuality, as was anyone who saw the injury Ivey suffered, so I doubt this news will have much effect on how he approaches the last few hours of the trade deadline.
The Pistons still potentially have their cap space, and since they have too many players, there are more moves coming one way or another.
Let’s hope Ivey continues to make progress, but realistically, he is out for the season and the Pistons are going to have to move on without him.