Debate erupted among fans of the Detroit Pistons when it was suggested that the team could trade Jaden Ivey this summer.
The original idea came from Bleacher Report, king of daily fake trades, none of which are very realistic or likely to happen. But they do make great fodder for conversation and can be a valuable way to evaluate players and their perceived trade value.
Here was the trade that had everyone talking:
Derrick White and Baylor Scheierman for Jaden Ivey, a top-10 protected 2027 first-round pick and a top-5 protected 2029 first-round pick
Despite what some of the more strident members of either fanbase might think, this looks fair on the surface. The Pistons get a proven player, and the Celtics get some much-needed cap relief and a quick reset while Jayson Tatum is out.
Much of the Pistons fanbase raged at the mere thought of trading Ivey, especially for a guy in his 30’s who may just be the beneficiary of being on a very good team.
Others thought it was a no-brainer for the Pistons, who get a perfect fit next to Cade Cunningham and a guy who can realistically move the needle as one of the top defensive guards in the league and a quality volume 3-point shooter.
The funny thing is that they are both right.
2 Things can be true about Jaden Ivey at the same time
I stupidly weighed in on X, home to the types of conversations you might have during a road rage incident.
My only take was that White is a better player than Ivey right now and I don’t think that is controversial (I was wrong about that), as he is in his prime, a far superior defender and a versatile offensive player who has a proven track record of efficiency from long range.
I also said I wouldn’t make this trade, which is also not a controversial take. Every dollar counts under the new CBA and White’s salary jumps from $28-34 million over the next four seasons (not a bad deal). The Pistons can likely sign Jaden Ivey for considerably less, so it’s not just about which player is better, it’s about value for money.
You can have Ivey and another player for the price of White, so it’s not just a one-to-one comparison.
Ivey is also 23 years old, so there is a chance he’ll be as good or better than White someday, or at least as valuable when you factor in the lower contract.
I’m also not sure the Pistons should be in the business of giving away draft picks this early in their renaissance. If it were one first round pick, this debate gets a lot more heated.
The counter argument is that Ivey isn’t as good a fit with Cade Cunningham (yet), while a guy like White would be ideal. He spreads the floor, he takes a tough defensive assignment and would likely push the Pistons into being one of the best defensive teams in the league while improving their 3-point shooting.
The point is that there is nuance to this argument, and it’s not as clear cut as either side would have you believe. Derrick White is better right this moment and might make the Pistons a better team, but Ivey still has a lot of room for growth, will be cheaper, which will help the Pistons’ overall depth.
It was a lot of debate for a trade that is very unlikely to happen anyway, but it’s the offseason and I do appreciate the passion.