Trae Young is now officially on the trade market after the Hawks have found more success without him, and Jaden Ivey might eventually face the same reality. Ivey is due for a contract extension next summer, but the Pistons will push back against demands for a huge deal.
Unfortunately for Ivey, the Pistons have been at their best since his role has diminished due to injury and this will affect his value to the team. His flaws on both sides of the ball have also been magnified in his limited time since returning, and it's been hard for him to find his footing consistently.
Is Jaden Ivey part of the Pistons' long-term future?
Ivey isn't quite the same polarizing player as Young. Unlike Trae, he's able to play off the ball effectively and hold up enough defensively to contribute towards huge wins. But there are some similarities as smaller guards who can be their team's defensive weak link and aren't good enough offensively to lead a team.
But Pistons fans are understandably concerned about Ivey at this point in the season. He seems like a player in limbo next to other Pistons with well-defined roles. Ivey's doing his best to fit into the team, especially when he gets to play next to another point guard. He's got a tough task rejoining a first-place team after an extremely successful start to the season.
In his limited role, Ivey definitely feels held back from his true potential. It's not through his own fault, but the Pistons don't necessarily have room for him to spread his wings. However, this lack of opportunity is hurting his future perception on his own team as well as the league at large.
In the games that Ivey missed between his initial injury last season and his return this season, the Pistons went 44-22. He was playing at a high level before that, but the team was able to truly dominate on defense in his absence. It was a similar story for the Hawks when Trae Young went down. In his absence, Jalen Johnson was able to step up as a lead creator while the team eliminated their defensive weaknesses from the floor.
Young's situation is obviously a lot more extreme. This season, the Hawks are 15-13 without him in the lineup - and just 2-8 with him. His defensive weaknesses are clearly the root of the problems when he does play. It's obvious why the Hawks now want to move on from him, and why his trade value is very low around the league.
Ivey is far from the same unfortunate situation as Young, but he needs to find his place on the Pistons before he gets there. He has plenty of routes to get there, whether it's improving as a shooter and scorer or toughening up his defense further.