NBA Writer Suggests Pistons' Improvement Won't Come Through FA

Who is the offseason X-factor for the Detroit Pistons heading into next season?

Mar 22, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) (center) talks with guard Jaden Ivey (23) (left) and center James Wiseman (13) on the bench in the first quarter of their game against the Boston Celtics at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Did the Detroit Pistons get better? One set of NBA power rankings suggests that the team is worthy of moving up two spots in a “way-too-early” list.

While the potential loss of Malik Beasley could leave the Pistons struggling to match last year’s success, CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger doesn’t see a Beasley or a Duncan Robinson as an X-factor for next year. Instead, it’s Jaden Ivey.

“The federal investigation into Malik Beasley's potential gambling violations threw a major wrench into the Pistons' offseason plans, and as a result, they probably overpaid for Duncan Robinson in a desperate effort to get another floor-spacer,” Ward-Henninger wrote.

“That being said, the biggest addition to next season's roster will be a healthy Jaden Ivey, who was in the middle of a breakout season before fracturing his leg. While not as splashy as some other teams, the Pistons had a solid offseason and will bring back most of what was the league's most surprising team last year.”

Questions about Ivey’s fit alongside Cade Cunningham last summer quickly dissolved. Throughout his first 30 games in uniform for Detroit in 2024-2025, Ivey was putting together a career-best effort. He was earning interest as a Most Improved Player of the Year candidate before his season came to a halt in January.

A leg injury forced Ivey into surgery. Although the Pistons wouldn’t rule him out for the remainder of the season, he missed the regular season and the 2025 playoff series against the New York Knicks. His absence during the postseason left the Pistons with a bunch of “what-ifs.”

There’s no guarantee Ivey will put together another career year when he returns to the lineup next season. And since he doesn’t have any playoff experience, it’s unclear how he would perform in that situation after missing last year’s run.

Still, the thought of Ivey coming back ready to post averages of 18 points, four assists, and four rebounds while knocking down threes at a 41 percent clip gives the Pistons a positive outlook.

The Pistons made some medium-sized splashes in free agency with the additions of Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert. The losses of Tim Hardaway Jr, Malik Beasley, and Dennis Schroder might sting at first, but on paper, the Pistons did a nice job of filling the voids.

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