Jaden Ivey Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Thompson, Stewart, Ivey, Bickerstaff

March 15th, 2025 at 6:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons‘ defense had an off night in Thursday’s loss to Washington, so it was odd that Ausar Thompson didn’t get more playing time, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. While Detroit was giving up 129 points to the worst team in the East, Thompson was limited to 19 minutes and saw just two seconds of action in the fourth quarter.

Patterson notes that Thompson was effective when he was on the court, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds, an assist and a block. He swatted away a three-point attempt by the Wizards’ 7’0″ rookie Alex Sarr.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff only took three questions after the loss and didn’t explain Thompson’s reduced playing time, Patterson adds. However, he did address it before Saturday’s game, telling reporters, “It was my decision down the stretch … nothing that he did. He’ll definitely get an opportunity to play more tonight.” (Twitter link from Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press)

There’s more from Detroit:

Following the embarrassing loss, several players talked about the need to stay focused every night, per Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News. They understand that each game is important as they try to move into fourth place and secure home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. “Pretty much everybody (spoke up). We knew we didn’t do our job tonight. We knew we didn’t handle business, so everybody was disappointed,” Isaiah Stewart said. “I would just say it’s a lesson for us. We want to hang our hat on playing Detroit basketball every night and being consistent with that. We just didn’t do that tonight, and hopefully, we learn from that.”
In a separate story, Jaden Ivey talks to Davis about the collision in a New Year’s Day game that resulted in his broken fibula. Orlando’s Cole Anthony made contact with Ivey’s left leg while diving for the ball, effectively ending Ivey’s season. The Pistons announced on Thursday that the next update on Ivey’s condition will be four weeks away. “I’ve watched the clip; it’s just a basketball play,” Ivey said. “You are diving on the floor and playing hard for your team; I get it. I am not too over the situation of how I got hurt. But I am just taking things day by day.”
Pistons players are crediting Bickerstaff’s increased expectations for helping them quickly develop into a successful team, Patterson adds in another story for The Athletic. Bickerstaff was brought in to turn things around after a 14-win season. “Obviously, we’ve had a lot of changes, from front office to different personnel and lineups,” Jalen Duren said. “But I think overall, I want to give credit to J.B. and what he’s brought to the team in terms of a seriousness and an approach to the game, if that makes sense. He kind of keeps us on track and lets us know how, since day one, we’re not just out here to do this. We’re trying to make some noise, we’re trying to become a better team and he’s carried that all season. He’s the guy who’s set the tone for the culture.”

Injury Notes: Mavericks, Doncic, Lonzo, Ivey

March 14th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks will once again have just nine players available on Friday in Houston. Forward P.J. Washington, who is dealing with a right ankle sprain, was originally listed as questionable, but he has been ruled out and will miss a seventh consecutive game, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Head coach Jason Kidd explained that with the Mavericks scheduled to play an early-afternoon game against Philadelphia on Sunday, Washington was unlikely to be available for that contest if he plays tonight. So, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning relays (via Twitter), the decision was made to hold the forward out of Friday’s game, but it sounds like he should be ready to return in a couple days.

There has been no indication that any other injured Maverick is on the verge of being activated. Kidd did say that Anthony Davis (adductor strain) “continues to trend in the right direction,” but there’s no timeline for his return, tweets Townsend.

Besides only having nine players available, Kidd is also limited in how much he can use several of those players. Dante Exum is on a minutes limit of about 20-to-25 per game, while Dwight Powell, Caleb Martin, and Brandon Williams all remain on minutes restrictions too, per Townsend (Twitter link).

Here are a few more injury-related notes from across the NBA:

Already missing LeBron James, the Lakers will be without their other star on Friday in Denver. They’ve ruled out Luka Doncic, who is managing a left calf issue as well as a right ankle sprain, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The Lakers have lost three games in a row and will face long odds to snap that streak on Friday with their top two players inactive.
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, who has been sidelined for the past six games due to a sprained right wrist, told his teammates before they embarked on a six-game road trip that he’d see them “on the second half of the trip,” tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. It’s unclear whether that means Ball expects to return to action by then or if he’ll just meet up with the team at that point — either way, it sounds like he’ll be out for at least three more games.
Despite being ruled out for at least four more weeks on Thursday, Pistons guard Jaden Ivey hasn’t given up on the idea of returning to action this spring, as Eric Woodyard of ESPN relays. As the No. 6 seed in the East, Detroit is well-positioned to make the playoffs, so the team should continue playing beyond the end of the regular season for the first time since 2019, giving Ivey more time to recover. “It’s definitely motivating. I want to be out there so bad,” he said. “And I’m putting in the work to get back so just seeing those guys go out there and compete hard, that’s all I want to do is compete and play the game of basketball so it’s definitely encouraging and exciting to see.”

Jaden Ivey Ruled Out For Remainder Of Regular Season

March 13th, 2025 at 10:53am CST by Dana Gauruder

Any hope that Pistons starting guard Jaden Ivey would return prior to the end of the regular season was almost certainly dashed by the latest medical update provided by the club.

Ivey’s rehabilitation from a broken fibula has progressed to “weight-bearing strengthening exercises, running progression activity and stationary shooting,” the team’s PR department tweets. The next update regarding his rehab will be updated in four weeks. The regular season ends in four-and-a-half weeks, on April 13.

As of the previous update, issued on Feb. 6, Ivey had transitioned to a walking boot and had begun light weight-bearing activity.

While there may a window for Ivey’s return if the Pistons advance deep into the playoffs, it seems safe to assume his regular season, at least, is over. Ivey underwent surgery on Jan. 2 after Magic guard Cole Anthony fell on his left leg the previous night while the two guards were battling for a loose ball.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Ivey had been enjoying his best season as a pro so far in ’24/25, establishing new career highs in points (17.6) and rebounds (4.1) per game, as well as field goal percentage (46.0%) and three-point percentage (40.9%). He started all 30 games he played, averaging 29.9 minutes per night.

Detroit has already picked up its $10.1MM option on Ivey’s contract for next season. He’s eligible for a rookie scale extension during the offseason — it remains to be seen how the injury might impact those future negotiations.

Central Notes: Haliburton, Ivey, Thompson, Duren, Sims

February 22nd, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pacers are trying to be strategic about getting Tyrese Haliburton to be more aggressive, IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak writes. In their last matchup against Memphis, Haliburton was held to eight points by rookie Jaylen Wells, so in Thursday’s rematch, the Pacers made it a focus to hone in on the defensive looks their point guard would be seeing.

Haliburton responded with a 22-point, nine-assist game that saw Indiana take down the 36-19 Grizzlies. At 31-23, the Pacers are fourth in the Eastern Conference as of Saturday.

“We just did a lot in the past two days in my individual workouts and in our team practices,” Haliburton said. “They’ve been having the coaches and the interns and everybody just fouling me the whole time and we’ve gotta figure out how we get the ball and do what we do offensively.”

The Pacers are a different team when Haliburton is healthy, Dopirak writes. They’re 2-8 in games where he scores fewer than 10 points and are 17-2 when he scores 20+, like on Thursday. In wins, Haliburton is averaging 21.3 points per game; that average drops to 13.1 PPG in losses.

“The [last] game at Memphis, Ty didn’t take a shot, I don’t even know if he took one in the first quarter,” Carlisle said. “That’s not our game. He’s got to be aggressive. He’s gotta be aggressive to run the team and to get good looks.”

On the season, Haliburton is averaging 17.9 points and 8.5 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field and 36.8% from three.

“It’s been an up and down year for me offensively,” Haliburton said. “There’s been a lot of games where I might not have asserted myself enough or just overthinking, not shooting enough. Passing up good shots. I probably had a couple of incidents of it today. I watch a lot of film. My trainer Drew [Hanlen] is always on me to shoot the ball and be more aggressive. Good things happen when I’m aggressive and getting paint touches and really shooting the ball. I’m just trying to pay attention to it and try to be as good as I can and try to keep learning every game.”

We have more from the Central Division:

While it’s easy to assume Jaden Ivey would resume a starting role when he returns from injury, it would mean tinkering with a lineup that’s helped cement the Pistons‘ place in the playoff picture. That’s one of the issues Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tackles in his latest mailbag. The Pistons are 15-8 since Jan. 1 with Tim Hardaway Jr. starting, so they’ll only alter the rotation if it benefits their playoff hopes, according to Langlois, who also takes a look at Malik Beasley‘s expiring contract and the likelihood of him returning to Detroit next season.
Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren have been a reliable offensive duo in February, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic writes. Entering Friday, Thompson is averaging 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this month, while Duren is recording 14.6 PPG, 12.1 RPG and 4.1 APG. Their play, along with Cade Cunningham‘s star-level production, Dennis Schröder‘s second-unit leadership, and the resurgence of Tobias Harris and Beasley are keys for the Pistons’ postseason push, says Patterson.
Since being acquired at the deadline, Jericho Sims is serving as a primary backup big for the Bucks, having totaled 35 minutes in the two games since the All-Star break and Bobby Portis‘s suspension. Sims spoke on Thursday about being thrust into a bigger role than anticipated. “I just heard about it before shootaround and [a suspension] is not the way that you want to come in [to the rotation], but I was just excited to get my legs underneath me for the first win,” he said, per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm (Twitter link).

Pistons Guard Jaden Ivey Progressing, Out At Least One More Month

February 6th, 2025 at 10:11am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons All-Star guard Cade Cunningham will have wait at least another month for his backcourt partner to return.

Jaden Ivey is making progress from the broken left fibula he suffered on New Year’s Day against Orlando but it’s still uncertain whether he’ll return this season. He has transitioned to a walking boot and has begun light weight-bearing activity, according to a team press release posted by the PR department (Twitter link).

His progress will be updated in another four weeks as weight-bearing and basketball activities continue to evolve during the rehabilitation process, the statement adds.

Ivey underwent surgery the day after the injury, which occurred when Ivey and Magic guard Cole Anthony were battling for a loose ball and Anthony fell on the Pistons guard’s leg.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Ivey had been enjoying his best season as a pro, establishing new career highs in points (17.6) and rebounds (4.1) per game, as well as field goal percentage (46.0%) and 3-point percentage (40.9%). He has started all 30 games he has played, averaging 29.9 minutes per night.

Detroit has already picked up its $10.1MM option on Ivey’s contract for next season. He’s eligible for a rookie scale extension during the offseason.

The Pistons have been using Tim Hardaway Jr. and Ausar Thompson at the wing positions since Ivey was sidelined. They have missed his ball-handling and creative skills with Cunningham taking even greater responsibility in his absence. However, the surprising Pistons have gone 10-8 in the games Ivey has already missed.

Central Notes: Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Bucks, Bulls, Ivey

February 5th, 2025 at 7:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The agreed-upon trade sending Khris Middleton to the Wizards will break up one of the longest partnerships in recent NBA history, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Nehm notes that Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo both joined the Bucks in 2013 — Middleton in a trade with Detroit after an uneventful rookie season and Antetokounmpo as a little-known draft pick out of Greece. They wound up playing together for nearly 12 years, combining for 738 regular season and playoff games and bringing Milwaukee its first NBA title in half a century.

“For me, it’s a little bit bigger than business, it’s family,” Antetokounmpo said at Wednesday’s shootaround after news of the trade broke. “With a guy that I’ve won a championship with — it’s not only that I’ve won, I’ve lost a lot of times with him. I’ve been in a dark place a lot of times with him. I’ve been in the bus going to a lot of pressure situations with him. … That’s what I remember.”

Injuries to both players prevented them from duplicating the championship they captured in 2021. Middleton in particular has suffered repeated physical issues and has been limited to 23 games this season after undergoing surgery on both ankles.

Even though they’re no longer teammates, Antetokounmpo said his friendship with Middleton will last beyond their playing days.

“I know it’s business, but for me, Khris is my brother,” he added. “I’m going to have a relationship with him after basketball. It kind of hurts, but at the end of the day, I understand the business side of things, and I’m still going to show up to work and do my job until it’s my time to dip.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Middleton deal brings the Bucks about $300K below the second apron and will have future benefits as well, notes Frank Madden of BrewHoop (Twitter link). With Middleton’s $34MM player option no longer on the books for next season, Milwaukee projects to be $31MM under the first apron. Madden points out that gives the team access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, even if Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton exercise their player options.
Coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls aren’t done pursuing deals after sending Zach LaVine to Sacramento on Monday, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry notes that Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, Coby White and Patrick Williams have all been mentioned in rumors, but nobody is certain who will be leaving ahead of tomorrow’s deadline. “I already know I’m not untouchable,” White said. “I like being in Chicago, but it’s out of my control. That’s up to the front office and how they view me. As long as I’m here, I’m here to compete, play hard, lead and do anything I can to help win.”
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey recently posted a video of himself walking underwater to his Instagram account, relays Jared Ramsey of The Detroit Free Press. Aquatic therapy is part of Ivey’s treatment as he works to recover from a broken left fibula.

Central Notes: Atkinson, Cavaliers, Ivey, Mathurin

January 8th, 2025 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

After finishing 22nd in the NBA in pace last season, the Cavaliers are playing at the sixth-fastest pace so far this season, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, who notes that coaches and scouts around the league are praising new head coach Kenny Atkinson for embracing the strengths of his players while implementing his preferred style.

“It’s exactly the way Kenny wants to play,” one scout said. “The speed with which they play is so advantageous for (Evan) Mobley and (Darius) Garland, and it also helps cover up deficiencies for other players. … They’ve simplified things from last year.”

The 31-4 Cavaliers have the NBA’s best record and will carry a 10-game winning streak into a showdown with the West-leading Thunder (who have won 15 regular season games in a row) on Wednesday night.

Still, as impressive as Cleveland has been in the first half of this season, there are people across the league who remain somewhat skeptical about how the club’s style will translate to the postseason.

“I think they’re a really good regular-season team, but when the game slows down and is more targeted, I have some concerns,” said an assistant coach whose team recently faced the Cavs. “Can Donovan (Mitchell) and Darius make a bunch of shots when that happens? That’ll be the biggest question.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

The Cavaliers‘ front office is hesitant to risk messing with the chemistry in the team’s locker room in order to make a marginal deal ahead of the February 6 trade deadline, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. That doesn’t necessarily mean Cleveland will stand pat, but it probably means that in order to make any deal of significance, the club would have to be pretty confident it would be a meaningful on-court upgrade.
Dr. Clint Soppe, a sports medicine doctor based in Los Angeles, tells Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press that a fibula fracture like the one Pistons guard Jaden Ivey suffered generally takes four-to-six months to fully recover. The Pistons haven’t ruled out Ivey for the season after he broke his leg last week, but that timeline suggests the odds are against him returning this spring. Still, it’s worth noting that Soppe hasn’t examined Ivey himself and can’t speak to his specific case.
Bennedict Mathurin‘s willingness to buy into his role has been an important factor in the cohesion of the Pacers‘ starting five, which has helped fuel the team’s run of nine wins in 12 games, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “This is a winning brand of basketball that he’s playing now,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s learned some things. He’s realized some things. He and I have spent a lot of time talking about it and watching things. If he’s willing to run and take open shots, avoid the temptation to drive into crowds and try to draw fouls and play tough, hard-nosed defense, that’s a winning formula for a young player.” Mathurin will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason.

Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Ivey, Holland, Beal

January 6th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cade Cunningham has accomplished a lot in his brief NBA career, but he’s never had the experience of playing for a winning team, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The Pistons are moving in that direction and can reach the .500 mark with a victory over Portland on Monday. After overcoming a 1-5 start, Detroit is only one game out of the fifth spot in the East and may finally be a legitimate playoff contender.

“We are really trying to get through that breakthrough where now we are trying to be a real competitive team that is winning games more consistently,” Cunningham said. “[Recently], we had our first three-game win streak in years. We’ve been doing better this [season], but we still haven’t been able to put together wins. We’re still working to get that breakthrough.”

Cunningham admits he often blamed himself during a miserable 2023/24 season, which included a franchise record 28-game losing streak. He understood it would take a while to rebuild after being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, but he expected to be farther along by his third year in the NBA. Even with that frustration, Cunningham never hesitated to make a long-term commitment to the franchise, agreeing to a five-year, maximum-salary extension over the summer.

“I was committed the day I got here,” he said. “The losing streak made me commit even more. I was embraced so well by the city. The way they embraced me and my family was huge for me. Being part of Detroit sports and the culture and understanding everything that comes with Detroit, I do really feel like it is really Detroit versus everybody, and I’ve embraced that. I just want to be a part of Detroit winning. I want to have my own chapter in history.”

There’s more on the Pistons:

The team hasn’t given up hope that Jaden Ivey can return from his broken left fibula before the end of the season, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Ivey just underwent surgery on Thursday so no timetable has been set for his recovery process, but Langlois notes that the fibula tends to heal more quickly than other leg bones. “His spirit has been good. He’s been positive about the outcome and how he’s going to use this to become even better, even stronger,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It’s tough. It’s not going to be an easy road. Just as a human, as a teammate, the things you feel you miss out on. But his guys love him a lot and will help him along the way. Knowing J.I., no one’s going to work harder to get back and be better.”
Rookie forward Ron Holland is working closely with shooting coach Fred Vinson to improve his jumper, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Holland is shooting 48.1% from the field, but he’s gone just 14-of-63 (22.2%) from three-point range. “It’s amazing. I’ve never really had a shooting coach before,” Holland said. “… He sees the potential of where I can be as a shooter. Just going day by day with it. I’m really trusting him.”
The Pistons might be willing to facilitate a Jimmy Butler trade to Phoenix by taking back Bradley Beal from the Suns, suggests Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). His hypothetical deal would have Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. headed to the Heat, with Phoenix possibly sending some of its remaining draft assets to both Detroit and Miami. O’Connor’s trade idea was inspired by a Substack article from Tom Haberstroh, who suggested the Pistons as a third-team facilitator due to their cap room, as well as the various connections between the franchises in Detroit and Phoenix. Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein used to work for the Pistons, while the Suns recently hired Matt Tellem, the son of Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem.

Injury Notes: Pelicans, Lakers, Celtics, Ivey, M. Robinson

January 2nd, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past 23 games with a left hamstring strain, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado says he plans to return to action on Friday vs. Washington, as Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).

“I’ll be playing tomorrow for sure,” Alvarado said. “No doubt. … I finally get to be Jose again. It’s going to be a lot of crazy man out there.”

Both of the Pelicans’ injured star forwards — Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson — were spotted getting some on-court work in after Thursday’s practice, according to Guillory (Twitter video links).

Williamson has been out since Nov. 6 with a left hamstring strain and was considered week-to-week nine days ago. Ingram, who has been out since Dec. 7 due to a “significant” left ankle sprain, is set to be reevaluated next week.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Anthony Davis (left ankle sprain) and Gabe Vincent (left oblique strain) are unlikely to suit up on Thursday when the Lakers host Portland, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link). Both players have been downgraded to doubtful after initially being listed as questionable.
The Celtics have downgraded Jaylen Brown (right shoulder strain) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain) from questionable to out for Thursday’s game in Minnesota, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Porzingis, who will miss his fourth consecutive game with the injury, said he was “definitely getting close” to returning following shootaround in the afternoon, per Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter link). Thursday will mark Brown’s first absence with the shoulder issue and sixth missed game overall.
Jaden Ivey underwent surgery on Thursday morning to repair the broken fibula in his left leg after sustaining the injury on Wednesday. Although Ivey will reportedly miss most — if not all — of the rest of the season, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press hears there’s optimism the Pistons guard did not sustain ligament or tendon damage, which is encouraging news (Twitter link).
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. Although he hasn’t been able to run at full speed to this point, head coach Tom Thibodeau said the team is expecting Robinson to be cleared for practices “sometime this month,” according to SNY.tv.

Pistons’ Jaden Ivey Undergoes Surgery To Repair Broken Fibula

January 2nd, 2025 at 2:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

2:05pm: Ivey underwent successful surgery this morning to repair his broken fibula, the Pistons announced in a press release (Twitter link via Keith Langlois of the team’s website). Ivey will be reevaluated in four weeks, with additional updates on his status to come in the future.

10:38am: Pistons starting guard Jaden Ivey suffered a broken fibula in his left leg during Wednesday’s game against Orlando, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

According to Charania, Ivey is expected to miss the majority of what’s left of his third season. While it’s still possible he could return at some point in 2024/25, Charania writes that Detroit will be cautious with 22-year-old during his recovery process.

It’s a serious blow to the vastly improved Pistons, who have won four of their last five games and are in the mix for the play-in tournament. Detroit is currently 15-18, the No. 9 seed in the East, after finishing last season with the worst record in the NBA (14-68).

Ivey was injured early in the fourth quarter of Detroit’s win over the Magic. Ivey and Magic guard Cole Anthony were battling for a loose ball and Anthony fell on the Pistons guard’s leg. The game was delayed for several minutes and Ivey was carried off on a stretcher.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Ivey had been enjoying his best season as a pro so far in ’24/25, establishing new career highs in points (17.6) and rebounds (4.1) per game, as well as field goal percentage (46.0%) and three-point percentage (40.9%). He has started all 30 games he has played, averaging 29.9 minutes per night.

Detroit has already picked up its $10.1MM option on Ivey’s contract for next season. He’s eligible for a rookie scale extension during the offseason and it remains to be seen how this injury might impact those future negotiations.

Marcus Sasser, a 2023 first rounder, figures to see his playing time rise in Ivey’s absence.