Pistons’ Jaden Ivey Faces Uncertain Future After Right Knee Scope—What’s Next for the Rising Star?

The Detroit Pistons had their sights set on another leap forward after an impressive surge last season that earned them a solid top-six seed and a playoff berth. Naturally, much of that momentum hinged on guard Jaden Ivey stepping up—he was carving out a breakout campaign of his own until a January fibula injury sidelined him after just 30 games. Now, that promising step forward is hitting a pause. Ivey underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to ease persistent discomfort, with a follow-up evaluation scheduled a month from now. Thankfully, the team assured that this latest setback is “unrelated” to his previous fibula injury, which aligns with Ivey’s upbeat media day report of feeling “100%.” Still, the recovery roadmap points to him missing a significant chunk of the early season, forcing Detroit to lean more heavily on players like Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, and Tobias Harris to fill the scoring void. With Ivey’s contract extension looming as he enters his final rookie season, all eyes are on how quickly he can bounce back—and what this means for the Pistons’ trajectory. LEARN MORE

Detroit is looking to take another step forward after a breakout last season, during which it secured a top-six seed and returned to the playoffs. A big part of that next step was expected to be an increased role for guard Jaden Ivey, who was having a breakout year for himself until a fibula injury in January limited him to 30 games.

That next step for Ivey is on hold. He has had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to relieve discomfort and he will be re-evaluated in a month, the team announced. The Pistons also said that the injury was “unrelated to the fibula injury suffered last season,” which tracks with Ivey saying at media day he was feeling “100%.” The team’s recovery timeline has Ivey missing at least a dozen games.

Ivey played in one preseason game for a total of 14 minutes, but the pain in his knee worsened as training camp and preseason games wore on, coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before the Pistons’ preseason game Thursday.

JB said Ivey’s knee issue progressively got worse over the course of training camp, until the medical team decided a procedure was needed. Added that they have players who can fill in. “It’s obviously tough for him and that’s what makes it difficult.” pic.twitter.com/A5WAssyYek

— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) October 16, 2025

Ivey averaged 17.6 points while shooting 40.9% from 3, while adding 4.1 rebounds and four assists a game last season before his injury. Ivey was expected to take on a much larger scoring role with Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley no longer with the team. With Ivey out, expect more from Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson, plus more scoring responsibilities will fall to Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland and Tobias Harris.

Ivey is also extension eligible as he heads into the final season of his rookie contract (making $10.1 million). The sides could still reach a deal, if not, then Ivey will be a restricted free agent next summer.