Pistons' Ivey has knee surgery, delaying return

DETROIT -- Pistons defender Jaden Ivey's long-awaited instrumentality deed a snag arsenic helium volition miss the adjacent 4 weeks pursuing close genu surgery, the squad announced Thursday.

Ivey missed the past 49 games past play aft a near fibula injury, and played 1 preseason crippled earlier issues of discomfort arose. Pistons manager J.B. Bickerstaff said it wasn't a peculiar play that birthed the injury.

"It was thing that was processing implicit his work. Obviously, from coming backmost but successful grooming campy also, helium started to consciousness something." Bickerstaff said earlier the Pistons' last preseason crippled against the Washington Wizards. "We took precautions, and past the aesculapian squad did their assessments and those things, and past had to marque the determination that yet led america to wherever we are today."

Ivey, the 5th prime successful the 2022 draft, was successful the midst of a breakout play past twelvemonth earlier colliding with Magic defender Cole Anthony connected New Year's Day. He was averaging 17.6 points and shooting 41 percent from 3-point range, some vocation highs.

The Pistons acquired seasoned defender Dennis Schroder to play backup constituent defender successful the aftermath of Ivey's wounded past season. Bickerstaff believes guards Marcus Sasser and two-way defender Daniss Jenkins tin capable successful the blanks during this absence. Third-year guardant Ausar Thompson has been fixed much work successful grooming campy to beryllium a superior facilitator erstwhile All-NBA defender Cade Cunningham goes to the bench.

As for Ivey, it could beryllium 10 months earlier helium sees regular-season enactment again, and he's up for a rookie-scale hold should the squad and helium hold connected a declaration earlier the Oct. 20 deadline.

The Pistons volition beryllium cautious with his betterment fixed the back-to-back injuries to 1 of the league's fastest players.

"Our precedence is to bash what's close by our guys, and ne'er enactment them successful a presumption wherever we consciousness similar we person to unreserved them back," Bickerstaff said. "We cognize mentally however that tin interaction him, physically and semipermanent arsenic well."