DETROIT — Jaden Ivey’s time with the Detroit Pistons came to an end before he finished out his rookie contract with the team that drafted him fifth overall in 2022.
Following a season-ending injury in his first year under coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Ivey never found the excellent form he was in before the ailment, leading to Tuesday’s trade to the Chicago Bulls ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
While Bickerstaff shed nothing but praise on Ivey for their time together, he indicated that a change was necessary for both the Pistons and the 23-year-old guard.
“I don’t think this is a situation where the word is ‘it didn’t work.’ I just feel like a business decision had to be made, and it gave JI an opportunity to get a fresh start,” Bickerstaff said before Detroit’s game on Thursday against the Washington Wizards. “Hopefully it works out well for both of us.”
Ivey was a regular starter averaging nearly 18 points per game for the Pistons until his broken left fibula on New Year’s Day 2025. Upon his return this season the explosiveness was lacking and with Detroit surging to the top of the Eastern Conference, he never quite got the runway that led to him recapturing last season’s performance.
The Pistons didn’t suffer because of it, but with the chance to offload his expiring contract and bring in a potential veteran shot-taker in Kevin Huerter, Detroit took the opporuntity.
Bickerstaff is hopeful that a new environment can also help Ivey unlock more of his game.
“It’s a great opportunity for him to go to a new place, get a fresh start, get an opportunity to explore where his game can go,” Bickerstaff said. “Obviously, I don’t know how they’re going to use him over there or what they’re going to do with him there, but I’m just happy to have spent the time with him.”
The excitement for Ivey’s return never quite came to fruition on the court, but he left a lasting impact on the players in the locker room.
Ausar Thompson, who was locker mates with Ivey since his arrival in 2023, called him a “brother for life” and Bickerstaff hailed Ivey’s character and willingness to take part in what the Pistons built.
“JI was awesome. The two years we were together…he wanted to do whatever he could do to help this team win,” Bickerstaff said. “Going through a lot of difficult situations, the way that he was playing to start the year last year and then coming back and have to play a different role, a lot of guys wouldn’t have been able to handle that.
“I’m extremely appreciative of the way that he handled it, the way he continued to buy into the team and try to help the team be as successful as he could while he was here.”
It was a rocky ending to Ivey’s time as a Piston, averaging a career-low 8.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
He’ll join a Bulls team that overhauled their roster and without a clear path forward. In that situation, Ivey could be in a prime position to audition for his next contract when he enters the offseason as a restricted free agent.
