Jaden Ivey's former Pistons teammates made their feelings about him crystal clear

Jaden Ivey sadly missed his first potential game against the Pistons with injury, but his former teammates still showed their support for him. In particular, Detroit's All-Stars in Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren could be seen embracing Ivey after the game. The trade that sent Ivey away hasn't worked out so far for the Pistons and it broke a close relationship between Ivey and his teammates.

Jaden Ivey had a deep connection with the Pistons

The young Pistons core has been through a lot. They went from a historic losing streak and the worst record in the league at 14-68 to the juggernaut they are now. For the players that have been with Detroit through that whole process, the growth has gone beyond the basketball court.

Not only have guys like Cunningham and Duren progressed significantly in their skills, but they've also developed remarkable resilience and a tight bond. Ivey was also part of this same progression and right on track to contribute with Detroit's other rising stars. He was averaging 17 points per game while shooting 46% from the field and 41% from three in 2024 before getting injured.

Unfortunately, that injury completed changed the trajectory of his career. Before that injury, Ivey looked like he could be the Pistons' long-term shooting guard. He was brilliant playing off Cade's gravity and lethal either attacking the rim or shooting from deep.

Ivey's growth as a shooter has sustained even after the injury. But his athleticism and burst to the rim has dropped off a cliff. It's made him overly reliant on his jump shot and taken away what made him special in the first place. Sadly, the Pistons felt it was best to trade him away rather than wait for him to recover his previous form.

Even though the front office may have been ready to move on from Ivey, it doesn't mean his teammates were. Ivey entered the NBA at the same time as Duren - Ivey was selected 5th overall in the 2022 Draft and Duren was picked 13th. The two grew together from their rookie season until the Pistons' recent playoff contention.

Cade Cunningham was also a huge supporter of Jaden Ivey. Although their play styles are very different, they hoped to complement each other: Cade as the smooth operator of the offense, and Ivey the controlled chaos capitalizing on defenses out of position. Now, that hope will never come to fruition.

Hopefully Ivey can get back on track eventually after he recovers from his injuries. After his initial injury, he has suffered a number of setbacks related to his knees. Even if he's on another team now, Pistons fans will still be rooting for him to find his footing again. And his former Detroit teammates will always have his back.