The Detroit Pistons kicked off their training camp with Media Day on Monday. With their first game of the 2025-26 regular season only three weeks away, the Pistons have their first preseason game against the Grizzlies on Monday, October 6. For most fanbases, the preseason may not mean much. For Pistons fans, however, it will be a great chance to see their standout guard Jaden Ivey back in action.
In fact, the training camp and preseason process will be important for Ivey, who missed the majority of last season after suffering a broken fibula on January 1. Not only does he need to show that the 30 games he played last season, which were his best stretch in the NBA, weren't an anomaly, but he also needs to play himself into a contract extension with the Pistons. In order to do that, he has to show that he is the right backcourt fit next to Cade Cunningham and a starter on this team.
Jaden Ivey Has a Ton to Prove as Pistons Kick Off Training Camp
The best way to demonstrate that is to make his shots. The Pistons found success last year by pairing Cunningham with the likes of Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. in the backcourt. Now those veteran sharpshooters are gone. No one is expecting Ivey to hit threes with the same volume and accuracy as those two, but he needs to be an off-ball threat to help Cunningham operate with more space.
If Ivey can add that to his game, he can become an impactful and well-rounded offensive player. The 23-year-old combo guard already has the quickness, dynamism, ball-handling, and playmaking to be an on-ball creator in this league. The ability to thrive next to another ball-dominant perimeter player like Cunningham will have to be the next step in his evolution.
Only then can Ivey land the contract extension he is seeking as he enters the final year of his rookie-scale deal. He is on the same boat as Jalen Duren, and so far, neither player is in advanced negotiations that will prevent them from hitting restricted free agency next summer. How Ivey starts the season could potentially impact how many zeros are in the guaranteed salary of his contract extension.
All the reports out of Detroit indicate that Ivey is fully healthy and will hit the ground running in training camp without any limitations. How he is looking out there will be the most important storyline for Pistons fans in October.