The Detroit Pistons have built a young core that has fans believing big things are on the way in Motor City for the first time in several years.
By pushing the New York Knicks to six games, Detroit ended its postseason losing streak at 14. That unwanted streak went back to the 2007-2008 playoffs when the Pistons were eliminated from the Eastern Conference Finals by the Boston Celtics.
With players like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson looking like budding stars, and Jaden Ivey showing flashes of greatness, GM Trajan Langdon has the ball rolling in the right direction.
This begs the question of why there is reporting concerning one of those young building blocks being discussed in trade chatter during summer league play in Las Vegas.
Talented Young Pistons G Jaden Ivey Emerges in Surprise Trade Buzz
According to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, former Purdue Boilermakers standout Jaden Ivey was at the center of trade discussions ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
"One interesting name came up in some early trade chatter entering the 2025-26 season at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas: Jaden Ivey," Siegel wrote.
Ivey missed the bulk of the 2024-25 campaign after a broken fibula in his left leg limited the former No. 5 overall pick to just 30 games. With that being the case, this trade interest could be a matter of rival teams hoping they can talk Langdon and the front office into selling low on Ivey now that he is coming off an injury.
Had the Pistons done a better job of retaining their free agents this summer, the argument could have been made that Malik Beasley, Dennis Schroder, or Tim Hardaway Jr. being on the roster moving forward would make Ivey less of a necessity. Those players have either moved on to new teams or made it so Detroit's front office simply cannot risk signing them to a contract.
With Ivey healthy and set to return to the lineup, the Pistons owe it to themselves to see exactly what this young and talented group can do as a unit before deciding on any more trades involving key pieces to the puzzle.
You don't average over 16 points, four assists, and three rebounds per game in the NBA over three years by mistake. Ivey is a player, and rival front offices are aware of that. Holding onto Ivey and seeing how he grows alongside the other young pieces in place is one of the smartest things the Pistons can do as a franchise.