The Pistons received plenty of backlash for trading away Jaden Ivey but his continued injury woes have proven them right so far. Ivey was dealt for a relatively meager return of Kevin Huerter and a first-round pick swap with the Timberwolves, but he’s hardly played for the Bulls since the trade. As Huerter begins to establish himself in Detroit, Ivey’s continued absence makes the trade worthwhile for the Pistons.
Jaden Ivey isn’t healthy enough to contribute right now
Ivey has only suited up in 4 games for Chicago since the trade and hasn’t played since February 11th. Sure, the Bulls may be encouraging him to rest in a tanking effort. But if he’s not even able to confidently touch the floor, there’s no way he could be a valuable contributor for the Pistons right now and especially in the playoffs.
The Pistons have been burned by bad injury luck recently and they don’t need any more from a rotation player. Since both Ivey and Huerter are on expiring contracts, the Pistons effectively swapped Ivey out for a healthier player and picked up a pick swap in the process. Getting an even more impactful player would have been nice, but securing another guard with a clean bill of health was the priority.
Jaden Ivey wouldn’t fix the Pistons’ current issues
A troubled streak of recent losses has made Pistons fans regretful of the trade deadline. But keeping Ivey around, even if he was miraculously at full health, wouldn’t have changed matters. The Pistons haven’t been losing because of a newfound weakness in their offense; it’s a defensive slippage that’s causing problems.
Ivey did shoot the ball decently well this season - 37% from three - and that may have helped the Pistons score more points. Despite Huerter’s one-time reputation as a shooter, his actual percentages have been abysmal for the better part of two seasons. But Ivey had clearly lost the burst that made him special and he wasn’t truly elevating the offense even when he hit shots.
As it stands, Ivey and Huerter have been roughly equal during their respective Pistons tenures this season. Ironically, Ivey has outperformed Huerter shooting the ball but Huerter has been better attacking the rim and on defense. The main area where the Pistons improved was availability - a hallmark of Trajan Langdon’s tenure.
A slight improvement in draft positioning doesn’t hurt either, especially with the class coming out this summer. The Pistons have the potential to jump up 7 or 8 spots depending on how the Timberwolves finish.
Regardless of your feelings on the two, a healthy Kevin Huerter is more impactful than a sidelined Jaden Ivey. And who knows, maybe the Pistons can even try to re-sign Ivey in free agency this summer.