Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey has suffered a broken fibula in his left leg, a source confirmed to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. It’s a significant injury blow for the 22-year-old, who was in the midst of a career-best season.
A Pistons spokesman told the Free Press that the team will provide an official injury update at a later time. The news initially was reported by ESPN.
‘It’s tough on the whole group,’ Pistons guard Cade Cunningham said postgame of Ivey’s injury. ‘To see him hurting like that is tough on us. He’s built for it, he’s going to shake back knowing him. He’s going to work his tail off and he’s going to be better than ever when he gets back. It’s hard to see that, for sure.’
Jaden Ivey’s leg injury leaves Pistons shaken
Ausar Thompson appeared to be teary-eyed on the bench and Magic guard Cole Anthony, who dove for a loose ball and collided with Ivey, was also in tears while standing next to Ivey as trainers examined his leg.
All things Pistons: Latest Detroit Pistons news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
After Ivey exited the game, the Pistons circled for a quick prayer before returning to play.
‘We said a prayer for him, and just wanted to collect ourselves and talk about it and make sure everybody was on the same page about what we had to do from that point on,’ Cunningham said. ‘We already had a lot of attention with this game. Jan. 1, we wanted to start the year off right. Seeing that happen, that was tough on us and we wanted to make sure everybody was on the same page about what the mission was.’
Without Ivey, the Pistons surpassed their 2023-24 season win total with Wednesday’s 105-96 home win.
‘They care about each other, and they care about JI and what this means to him and the sacrifices that he’s made within his game, within himself to help this team and each other’s individual growth,’ coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. ‘They banded together because they know that’s what he would’ve wanted him to do.’
Who replaces Jaden Ivey for Pistons?
Ivey injury will pose several challenges to the roster. Bickerstaff has staggered Cunningham and Ivey this season, leaving at least one on the floor at nearly all times. Ivey is the team’s secondary initiator on offense and point guard when Cunningham sits.
Ivey’s absence would leave second-year guard Marcus Sasser as the team’s lone backup to Cunningham.
‘It’s tough on all of us,’ Bickerstaff said. ‘No better teammate, person than JI. No one who cares more about this thing than him. It’s tough to see.’
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.