Jaden Ivey mysteriously missing from best available free agent lists

One name that has been mysteriously and conspicuously absent from the free agent talk this summer is former Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, who has disappeared off the face of the earth. 

I was perusing a recent list of best available free agents, and our old friend Jaden Ivey was nowhere to be found, which really makes no sense. 

Ivey had a rough year between injuries, getting traded and eventually getting cut, only part of which was his fault. 

But it’s hard to believe that teams have just given up on a guy who was the 5th pick in the draft just a few years ago, so what is going on with Jaden Ivey? 

Is Jaden Ivey finished with the league or the other way around? 

It’s possible that Ivey has no interest in playing basketball in the NBA, and if he does, he’s not letting anyone in on the secret. 

We’ve seen forgotten names like Ben Simmons and Victor Oladipo make public comeback bids this summer, and these are players who have been out of the league a lot longer than Ivey. 

But their interest still sparked reports and speculation, even though they are long shots to get back into the NBA. I follow NBA news as closely as anyone, and I’ve not heard Ivey’s name mentioned once, so if he’s interested in a comeback, he’s keeping it to himself. 

It’s also possible that the league is simply done with him. There’s not much more annoying in the world than a privileged man in his early 20’s judgmentally preaching to people as if he has all of the answers. 

That said, Ivey’s behavior pales in comparison to some of the actual criminals the league has let back in. If teams can look past Miles Bridges repeatedly getting arrested for felony domestic violence, then I am sure they can overlook Ivey’s fervor. 

Jonathan Isaac said many of the same things and was still able to find work, so even though I know the league takes prejudice seriously, Ivey’s sins don’t seem like ones that would keep him from getting a job, especially if he was playing well.  

That brings me to the final point, which is that there is a chance teams have seen enough and don’t believe Ivey’s talent or potential contributions are worth the headache. Anthony Edwards made similar comments to Ivey, and no one suggested he’d be out of the league afterwards. That's because he's a superstar and Ivey isn't.

If I am being completely honest, I was never a big fan of Ivey on or off the court, but it does seem odd that someone with his talent isn’t being given a second chance when the NBA has an endless supply of them on hand.  

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow