Pistons starting guard Jaden Ivey suffered a broken fibula in his left leg during Wednesday’s game against Orlando, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
Charania’s post did not reveal a timeline for Ivey’s return or whether surgery will be required. It’s a serious blow to the vastly improved Pistons, who have won four of their last five games and are in the mix for the play-in tournament.
Ivey was injured early in the fourth quarter of Detroit’s win over the Magic. Ivey and Magic guard Cole Anthony were battling for a loose ball, and Anthony fell on the Pistons guard’s leg. The game was delayed for several minutes, and Ivey was carried off on a stretcher.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Ivey had been enjoying his best season as a pro so far in 2024-25, establishing new career highs in points (17.6) and rebounds (4.1) per game, as well as field-goal percentage (46.0) and three-point percentage (40.9). He has started all 30 games he played, averaging 29.9 minutes per night.
Detroit has already picked up its $10,107,163 option on Ivey’s contract for next season. He’s eligible for a rookie scale extension during the offseason, and it remains to be seen how this injury might impact those future negotiations.
Marcus Sasser, a 2023 first-rounder, figures to see his playing time rise in Ivey’s absence.