Pistons Guard Listed as Trade Target for Eastern Conference Team

Jaden Ivey named as a trade target for the Washington Wizards.

Nov 17, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) and Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) defend in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Cade Cunningham's breakout campaign garnered a lot of attention from the Detroit Pistons, but numerous members of the core took a step forward in their development. Following a strong stretch early in the year, one key piece of the roster has been tossed out as a trade target for an Eastern Conference foe.

Before the NBA offseason officially begins, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report put together "ambitious" trade targets for all 30 teams. Pistons guard Jaden Ivey received a mention in the column as someone the Washington Wizards could go after this summer.

Washington needs high-upside assets. Ivey qualifies on the strength of his athleticism, last year's small-sample shooting growth and draft pedigree.

If the Pistons aren't sure about him or don't want to deal with paying his next contract, the Wizards should be primed to pounce.

Upon taking over as head coach of the Pistons, J.B. Bickerstaff put Ivey in a prominent role alongside Cade Cunningham. This move yielded big results, as the former No. 5 pick hit the ground running in preseason and never looked back. Before suffering a season-ending injury, Ivey was putting up the best numbers of his NBA career. Across 30 appearances, he averaged 17.6 PPG and 4.0 APG while shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc.

Dec 26, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) drives in against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Even though Ivey is coming off a devastating injury, the Pistons shouldn't be considering moving on from him. He finally started to show some promise and looked like he could co-exist alongside Cunningham in the backcourt. Detroit needs to see a larger sample of the two together before such a drastic move is discussed.

This summer is a big one for Ivey, as he is eligible to sign an extension. He can either work out a new deal with the Pistons coming off injury or wait until next summer when he'll hopefully have a full campaign under his belt.