Trajan Langdon’s most important and difficult task as president of the Detroit Pistons is deciding which young players to build around.
It will be challenging to keep all of the young talent the Pistons currently have, as Cade Cunningham already signed a max rookie extension and both Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren will be extension-eligible next offseason with Ausar Thompson a year behind them.
Trajan Langdon has not expressed a preference and seems content to let them play it out with a better cast around them, evaluating the players in a better context.
As it stands, Jaden Ivey could be the odd man out, though the Pistons don’t have to be in a hurry to do anything.
Ausar Thompson or Jaden Ivey?
With the Pistons current roster, it’s hard to see how both Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson are in the starting lineup. The Pistons just went out and added a bunch of shooters and veterans like Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. are going to play.
That could relegate Ivey to a bench role if the Pistons want Ausar’s defense in the starting five or value him more highly a developmental prospect. Isaiah Stewart, Simone Fontecchio and Paul Reed will get minutes off the bench as well, which makes you wonder where Ivey stands.
Ivey in a bench role is not the worst thing, especially if the Pistons don’t add another point guard, as he can be the primary backup and may thrive in that role with more freedom to create.
But if the Pistons do sign a veteran point guard, and prioritize putting shooting around Cunningham with Beasley and THJ, then minutes for Ivey may be hard to come by, at least at the beginning of the season, as was suggested by James Edwards III in a recent mailbag (subscription).
Of course, the Pistons may flip those two veterans and their expiring contracts at the deadline, so there will be minutes for Ivey one way or another, but is he going to get the run he needs?
There is also a world where Ivey starts and this is a moot point, but the addition of two vets who can shoot, with another point guard possibly coming, could make things trickier for Ivey.
Should the Pistons sell high on Jaden Ivey?
If Ivey isn’t going to be in a starting role, or the Pistons think Thompson is the safer bet going forward, then there is an argument to trade Ivey now.
He’s still an unknown with untapped potential, but a we’ve seen recently in the NBA, that can change quickly, just ask Killian Hayes or Saddiq Bey, who went from “core” players to traded or out of the league in the blink of an eye.
The shine will be off Ivey soon enough, especially if he’s not in a role that showcases him.
Of course, there is always a risk that he’ll tap into that potential somewhere else, and the Pistons have plenty of experience with that result as well, watching players they traded too soon thrive with other teams.
Ultimately, this should and will be decided on the court, and if Ivey plays well and improves, there is a spot for him on this team going forward. I am pulling for him to have a breakout season and put this argument to rest, but until he does, the speculation is going to be there.