Jaden Ivey hasn't played in an NBA regular-season game since Jan. 1, 2025. The 23-year-old guard had suffered a broken fibula last season, forcing him to miss the majority of the 2024-25 campaign. He was preparing to return to action at the start of this season before, unfortunately, suffering a knee injury during the preseason, which forced him to undergo arthroscopic surgery to relieve knee discomfort. He was ruled out for at least the first four weeks of the season. Now that we are four weeks into the season, Ivey has taken a big step forward towards his return.
Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press reported on Tuesday that the Pistons assigned Ivey to the Motor City Cruise as he continues his ramp-up, calling it a "big milestone for his return." This means that Ivey will practice with the G League affiliate for the immediate future until he is ready to suit up for the Pistons.
Pistons News: Jaden Ivey Is on the Verge of Making His Season Debut
This is a common strategy that NBA teams use when preparing a player for a return from an extended injury absence. Teams practice rarely in the NBA due to the busy schedule, and the Pistons are currently on a four-game road trip, further limiting their ability to practice as a team. G League assignments allow players to get in practice time and play themselves into shape. The Los Angeles Lakers recently did this with LeBron James after he missed the first four weeks of the season with sciatica.
If all goes well, Ivey should return to the court within the next week or so. He will surely be on a minute restriction upon his return. Fortunately for the Pistons, they can ease him back into the lineup. At 12-2 and with the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons don't desperately need Ivey, and can bring him along slowly off the bench.
How long they can keep him on the bench, however, will be fascinating to watch. Daniss Jenkins is in the midst of a breakout campaign, and Caris LeVert is playing very well as a shot creator off the bench. Ivey will obviously take minutes off them, but how big a role he will play remains to be seen.
Ivey will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. His next contract will almost entirely depend on how he looks after his return, making it the most important stretch of Ivey's career.