Jaden Ivey remains a highly intriguing player — but his time in Detroit is likely coming to an end. The No. 5 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft has been thrilling at times, and a tad disappointing at others during his NBA tenure thus far. Ivey's production is down (he's returning from a broken leg, to his credit) and with paydays looming for Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, it's hard to envision the Pistons shelling out a big check when Ivey becomes a restricted free agent after this year.
Thus, it feels more likely every day that Ivey could be dealt before the deadline. Meanwhile, the Blazers do have some questions about the state of their backcourt. Is there a mutually beneficial trade hiding in plain sight between the Pistons and Blazers?
On its face, the Blazers seem relatively set at point guard. Jrue Holiday has been a nice surprise for the Blazers, and he's now back in the lineup after missing over a month. Caleb Love looks like the biggest steal of the offseason right now, and Scoot Henderson is getting closer to making his season debut.
But Holiday is 35 and has missed a lot of time the past two years, Love tends to be wildly inconsistent dating back to his college days, and Henderson is the biggest question mark of all.
Henderson has missed the entire season to this point. A torn hamstring is nothing to play with, and the Blazers should be cautious about bringing him back. But it's not fair to expect him to immediately return to A-plus form. With the halfway point of the season come and gone, it's not like he'll be able to ease his way back into the lineup either — every game feeling crucial as the Blazers fight for a postseason spot.
With the Blazers suddenly playing some of the best basketball in the league, adding a high-upside young player for the stretch run might be a no-brainer, even if that player is more of an insurance plan than the answer to a glaring need.
What a trade would actually look like is the big question. Ivey for Robert Williams straight up does work, but the Pistons don't likely aren't desperate for another center. There are plenty of combinations that could get a deal over the finish line, but adding a third team might be the easiest way to find a fair deal.
Blazers are quietly becoming a competitive team in the West
And adding Ivey might be the perfect way to beef up the backcourt. He's playing his way back into form, slowly getting his burst back after a devastating injury, and he should be able to provide some second-unit offensive creation, which the Blazers sorely lack.
Word on the NBA rumors streets is that the Blazers might be buyers at the trade deadline, and Ivey could be the perfect player to take a swing at.
Plus, with the option to sign him to a long-term deal this summer would give the Blazers some insurance if Caleb Love ends up being a flash in the pan or Scoot Henderson doesn't continue developing like the team hopes. Ivey becoming the near-star he appeared to be on a pathway toward wouldn't surprise me at all. It might be the perfect time to buy low on a talented player.
I don't want to give up on Scoot yet or claim that Caleb Love will come back down to Earth, but entering the postseason (and potentially beyond) with some extra depth at guard would be savvy from Joe Cronin, who has never been afraid of a risk.