Latest news with #JadenIvey
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Pistons Expected to Land Overlooked College Star in NBA Draft
The Detroit Pistons don't own a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and there are not many reports suggesting that they have any interest in trading up. With Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Ron Holland, and Ausar Thompson, the Pistons already have plenty of young talent, although they do have the 37th pick, courtesy of the Toronto Raptors. Advertisement In a recent mock draft published by ESPN, the Pistons select Auburn sixth man Tahaad Pettiford. Bruce Pearl talks to Auburn Tigers guard Tahaad PettifordDale Zanine-Imagn Images Pettiford averaged 11.6 points and three assists per game for the Tigers, and shot a solid 36.6 percent from deep. He wasn't given massive minutes, although he could be a volume scorer if he realizes his potential. At only 19 years old, he has plenty of room to improve and could compete with Marcus Sasser for backup guard minutes. If Malik Beasley and Dennis Schroder both stay in town, then his role will remain small, although if the Pistons draft him, there should be reason to have optimism. He is undersized and is a true shot-chucker, so concerns about his selection are very valid. However, he can create off the dribble well and can get very, very hot, pouring in buckets from all over the court. Advertisement He is a crafty scorer in traffic and can get to the rim or settle for floaters. As a second-round pick, if he doesn't pan out, it's a net neutral for the Pistons, although after playing for the renowned Auburn Tigers, there is reason to believe he is one of the better second-round prospects in the draft. Check out the All Pistons homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Overlooked Detroit Pistons' Trade Target Revealed Related: Detroit Pistons 'Expected' to Pursue Surprising Cavaliers Guard
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Pistons Projected to Pursue 24 PPG Star in Offseason in Free Agency
The Detroit Pistons, after making the playoffs for the first time since 2019, finally have clear direction. Cade Cunningham is a franchise player, and talented youngsters like Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland, and Amen Thompson round out the roster. However, Detroit doesn't have a clear-cut second option on offense, instead, it scores by committee. That seemed to work this season, although with key guards Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Malik Beasley all unrestricted free agents, the Pistons might have to shop for replacements. Advertisement While not the easiest player to bring to the Motor City, Cam Thomas would be a solid fit, provided the Brooklyn Nets are comfortable letting him walk. Apr 6, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Cam Thomas (24) dribbles the ball against Detroit Pistons point guard Jaden Ivey (23) during the second half at Barclays Center. © Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Thomas, 23, is a restricted free agent, and the Nets can match any contract he signs, forcing him back to Brooklyn. The Nets can also offer more money than any other team, and likely can offer a bigger role than anyone else. Last season, Thomas averaged 24 points on 43.8 percent from the floor and 34.9 percent from 3, making him one of the better volume scorers in the league. After losing the NBA Draft Lottery and landing the eighth pick, the Nets still have a long way to go before they can compete, barring a blockbuster trade. The most logical path for Thomas to come to the Pistons would be through a sign-and-trade, with the Pistons offering Simone Fontecchio or a young player like Marcus Sasser, in addition to protected draft capital, for Thomas. Advertisement Of course, if Beasley and Hardaway Jr. re-sign, the Pistons won't have salary room or even a need for Thomas, although Beasley will likely be looking for a substantial pay raise after a breakout season. Thomas is a name to watch this offseason, although the Nets are one of the rare teams below the salary cap, making building a contract for Thomas hard for Detroit. Check out the All Pistons homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Detroit Pistons Linked to Fan-Favorite Free Agent Related: Pistons Predicted to Trade Tobias Harris for $195 Million Star in Offseason Blockbuster
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Submit a question for Hunter Patterson's Pistons' offseason mailbag
We're a little more than two weeks removed from the Detroit Pistons' Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks that ended their season. While the franchise exceeded expectations by tripling their win total from 2023-24 and winning their first playoff game since 2008, this will be a pivotal offseason for the Pistons to build on their success. Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren are heading into their fourth seasons and they are eligible for rookie-scale contract extensions. Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr, Paul Reed and Lindy Waters III are all unrestricted free agents. Should the front office take a big swing via a trade? What's on your mind about Detroit as the organization heads into an offseason with legitimate optimism for the first time in years? Submit your mailbag questions below and let me know. And of course, be sure to follow the rest of my Pistons coverage throughout the remainder of the offseason. Hunter Patterson
New York Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Pistons president Trajan Langdon vows to ‘stay patient' during offseason
DETROIT — Once the New York Knicks eliminated the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs on May 1, questions surrounding the Pistons' impending summer decisions began to arise. Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr., Paul Reed and Lindy Waters III are all unrestricted 2025 free agents. Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, both 2022 lottery picks, are eligible for rookie-scale contract extensions. Detroit would have benefited from a defined secondary scoring option alongside Cade Cunningham, especially in the playoffs. Is it worth taking a big swing via a summer trade, or should the Pistons prioritize developing homegrown talent in players such as Ivey, Duren, Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II? Detroit's president of basketball operations, Trajan Langdon, addressed local reporters Wednesday to answer those questions and more. Langdon, fresh off his first season at the helm with the Pistons, spearheaded the team's revitalization that saw it triple its win total from 2023-24 and win its first postseason game since 2008. Langdon began his end-of-the-season news conference by expressing his plans for the offseason. 'For us, it's stay patient. I'm not going to change in that regard,' Langdon said. 'We're going to listen to calls, we're going to see (about) opportunities. We're always going to look at avenues to get better that we think make sense for us to improve. Then at the end of the day, with everything that's presented to us, with the options we have, we have to make the right decision for sustainable success. That's one thing that we want to have here, and I think we have a group of guys we can do that with. 'At what level, right now, we don't know. But a big thing for this summer is going to be developing the guys that we have. The young guys we have that are 19 through 22, 23 years old and have them continue to grow. If those guys take steps, we get better. That's what we're focused on, putting people with those guys that can make them better. I thought it was a pretty good formula this year.' Let's lay out some of the youth Langdon was alluding to. Holland is 19 and will enter the 2025-26 season at 20. Duren will be 21 at the start of next season, Thompson will be 22, Ivey 23, and both Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart will enter next season at 24. Thompson will have an opportunity to expand his talent during his first NBA offseason, after blood clots at the end of the 2023-24 season robbed him of his first NBA offseason and training camp. Ivey was on pace for career highs in points, rebounds, steals, field-goal and 3-point percentage in 30 games before his left fibula fracture and is already months into his rehab process. Holland averaged 15.6 minutes during the regular season, played a total of 33 during his first playoff experience and will likely use summer league to improve. Duren averaged a double-double with nearly two blocks during his first postseason run and blossomed on both ends as the regular season progressed. The Pistons possess a potentially promising core, and it seemed clear it would take an offer close to undeniable, based on Langdon's responses, for Detroit to tinker with that group. Langdon later pointed to the group's cohesion heading into next season being another reason he's eager to see what this bunch can do. 'We have to learn more about our players,' Langdon said. 'That continuity, not only with the roster but with the coaching staff, (is something) this group has never had before. That will be a positive through the summer and into next season as well. The questions will be there about what we do. Do we add another person or do we build from within? 'Like I said before, we'll look at all avenues and decide what the best avenue is for us.' More from Trajan Langdon on the Pistons' need to figure out what they currently have: 'We have to learn more about our players. … That continuity, not only with the roster but with the coaching staff, (is something) this group has never had before. That will be a positive.' — Hunter Patterson (@HuntPatterson_) May 7, 2025 On the contract extension front with Ivey and Duren, Langdon said it was 'to be determined,' but there will at least be conversations with each. Langdon mentioned the Pistons 'have a long time to make that decision.' Detroit must decide between July 1 and the start of next regular season in October on Duren and Ivey's contract extensions. Apart from the extensions, Pistons fans shouldn't expect big splashes in free agency. No 2025 restricted or unrestricted free agents made the 2025 All-Star game, and there aren't too many big man players available in the first place. Langdon was asked how Detroit is most likely to go about acquiring a potential star-level player to pair next to Cunningham in a hypothetical situation. He made sure to confirm, before answering, that the basis of his response was rooted in this being a hypothetical question. 'I assume it would have to happen in a trade,' Langdon said after asking the reporter to repeat the question. 'I don't know how many All-Stars are going to come (to Detroit) in free agency right now. And the amount of cap space we have doesn't allow that.' This is also a delicate situation because, as much as Langdon doesn't want to stunt the growth of his young core, it's also imperative not to stunt Cunningham's individual growth. The first-time All-Star posted career bests in points, assists and blocks per game while shooting career highs from the field and 3-point line. Langdon is aware that the Pistons go as Cunningham does, and he's marked the 23-year-old as the franchise's cornerstone. Cunningham averaged 25 points, 8.7 assists, 8.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks during his first six postseason games, all while being the Knicks' defensive focal point. He joined elite company in the process. Cade Cunningham in his first career playoff series so far: 🏎️ 25.4 PPG🏎️ 8.6 RPG 🏎️ 8.8 APG
New York Post
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Skill set Tom Thibodeau unapologetically holds above all else has been defining Knicks edge
It's funny, actually. Outside of our Gotham bubble, there are a lot of people who seem utterly smitten by the Detroit Pistons. It's understandable. The Pistons won 14 games a year ago. They started this season 0-4. They were still under .500, at 25-26, as late as Feb. 5, and by then they'd already lost their exciting young shooting guard, Jaden Ivey, who broke his leg New Year's Day. But then the Pistons put together a streak of nine wins in 10 games, they wound up tripling their win total from last season, they began to play with an appealing fearlessness and swagger, all of it led by one of the league's most dynamic players in point guard Cade Cunningham. And in these first four games of this Eastern Conference opening-round series with the Knicks, they've mostly honored all of their advance notices. They don't back down from a fracas or a fight. They are aggressive. They shoot the 3 with abandon. And Cunningham has been sublime: 25.8 points, 9.0 assists, 8.8 rebounds per game. They've been one of the hits of the NBA's first round. 4 Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks reacts in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on April 27, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. Getty Images Which must make this inconvenient truth a little puzzling for all of the folks throwing balloons, cookies, puppies and Valentines at the feet of the precocious Pistons: They are a game away from the golf course. The Knicks, who don't seem to impress anyone outside of the boroughs and their suburbs, lead the series three games to one. They have done this, on one level, because they haven't just been the better team in the fourth quarter of all four games when the money sits in plain sight on the table, they've been the dominant fourth-quarter team. And in some awfully fundamental ways, what we've seen from the Knicks in this series is what we've seen from the Knicks all season. The foundational credo to Tom Thibodeau is winning. He is not one to extol the value of a close loss, and is certainly not one to ever advocate the value of a moral victory. He believes in real victories, and sometimes it means he has his phones tapped and his movements tracked by the Minutes Police, who tend to be obsessed about things like overused players (this at a time when the issue that simultaneously alienates fans most about the NBA is load management). 'Winning,' he has said frequently for five years, 'is the only thing that matters.' It remains puzzling to those of us who see the logic in those words that the Knicks — mostly Thibodeau, but also the team as a whole — find themselves practically mocked every year for their affinity and proclivity for winning. Caring so much about regular-season wins, we keep hearing, is silly. Obscures the bigger picture. And so if you point out that the 51 wins the Knicks earned this year were the franchise's second most in 28 years, you are dismissed: 'Regular-season wins,' comes the usual retort, contemptuous spittle with every syllable. 4 Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks shoots the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons. NBAE via Getty Images If you answer with the fact that over the past two seasons, including playoffs, the Knicks have now won 111 games … well, don't expect a concession speech: Show me the rings! And sure, that is the ultimate goal. And it is a goal that seems likely to be out of the Knicks' range because the teams above them on the food chain — Thunder, Cavaliers, Celtics — have deeper and stronger rosters. But the men who populate the Knicks roster are unfazed by that. They choose to play winning basketball anyway. They've won those 111 games the past two years. They're up 3-1 in this series — 48 minutes away from a likely and long-anticipated showdown with the defending champion Celtics — because they happen to know a thing or three more about winning than most teams do. 4 Knicks guard Pacome Dadiet, center, celebrates with center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) late in the fourth quarter of their win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 4. AP And not just against lousy opponents, which is one piece of testimony that always comes up when you mention just how many games they've won lately. All four games with the Pistons were toss-ups when it mattered most, in the fourth quarter. The Knicks have found a way to win three of them, and they've done it by out-Pistoning the Pistons: They've been the tougher team, by far, in the fourth quarter They've made the key 3s every time in the fourth quarter. Want a profound and possibly overlooked juxtaposition? How's this: At the tail end of the third quarter in Game 3, Josh Hart — fully aware the clock was melting away — quick-shot a banker with 0.1 seconds left. In Game 4, after a steal, Dennis Schröder, oblivious to the clock, eschewed a layup and lobbed a show-me lob to Tim Hardaway Jr., who dunked it a tenth of a second after the third-quarter buzzer. The Knicks won Game 3 by the margin of Hart's savvy; the Pistons lost Game 4 by one of the two easy points Schröder showboated away. 4 Josh Hart of the New York Knicks pulls down a rebound as Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons watches during the second quarter. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post And for all the love showered upon Cunningham, he is clearly the second-best point guard in this series. Jalen Brunson is scoring more (33.3 to 25.8), is virtually even in assists (8.8 to 9.0) and is outshooting Cunningham overall (46.0 to 44.4) and from 3 (35.5 to 25.0). Maybe learning how to win isn't such a silly hobby after all. Maybe that particular skill set comes in handy when it's time to win the games that matter most. Maybe.
