One collision changed Ivey's life forever.

When a team has 21 turnovers throughout a game, winning becomes extremely challenging unless the other side turns the ball over even more.

In the game where the Clippers defeated the Pistons, the Clippers’ 12 turnovers in just a quarter and a half were already outrageous, but the Pistons’ 12 turnovers in the last quarter were even more alarming. By the end, almost every possession ended in a turnover. They gave away 24 turnovers in total, three more than the poorly performing Clippers, so it was no surprise they were ultimately blown out by 19 points.

There isn’t much to say about this game; the Pistons’ key players barely played, so the chaos in the final moments was understandable. What made me sad was that in the closing moments, the Pistons kept their 2022 fifth overall pick Ivey on the bench and instead had this year’s two-way contract player Jenkins running the point.

In the previous game against the Bulls, Ivey was DNP (Did Not Play) the entire fourth quarter, which could be explained by his limited playing time restrictions. Yesterday, when asked in an interview if he still had those restrictions, Ivey responded, “No, I don’t.”

However, in today’s final quarter, he only played four minutes without contributing any stats. He shot 4-for-12 overall, missing all five three-point attempts, finishing with just 8 points and 3 rebounds. Although listed in the starting lineup, he was ninth in playing time among the Pistons’ ten-man rotation. Coach Bickerstaff clearly trusted two-way contract player Jenkins more than him in the crucial moments.

Since entering 2026, Ivey’s outside shooting has suddenly collapsed, hitting only 2 of 17 three-pointers over the last five games. He scored single digits in four of those games and was terrible offensively. As a result, in the last two games, he has ceded the final moments to Jenkins.

This season, all of Ivey’s fundamental stats are career lows, and he mostly comes off the bench, performing poorly. Once a top-five first-round pick and the best scoring guard of his draft class, a key backcourt piece for the Pistons, he has now fallen to this state—all because of one collision a year ago.

On January 2, 2025, during a game against the Magic, Cole Anthony landed his full body on Ivey’s lower leg while fighting for a loose ball, causing a severe and gruesome ankle deformity. He was diagnosed with a fractured left fibula after the game and was ruled out for the season.

This fracture forced Ivey to sit out for 10 months, only returning to the court on November 23. He missed the offseason development period, the preseason training camp, and preseason games, as well as time to build chemistry with teammates, resulting in an inconsistent performance this season.

More importantly, Ivey lost the chance to negotiate a contract extension with the team early, as neither side wanted to discuss it at this point. The Pistons certainly wouldn’t offer a big contract to a severely injured player, and Ivey is likely aiming to prove himself and negotiate an extension in the summer of 2026.

Among the top five picks of the 2022 first round, Ivey is the only one who hasn’t signed an early extension; the other four have all secured contracts worth over 100 million. Before the injury, Ivey averaged 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal per game, with a career-best 46% shooting and 40.9% from three.

Compared to his first two seasons, Ivey had a true breakout year, increasing his scoring while improving efficiency, shaking off the label of an inefficient scorer, and forming a backcourt duo with Cade Cunningham. He was the clear number two option on the team, even ahead of Jaden Ivey in priority.

At this pace, Ivey might not have secured a max five-year $200 million contract in the offseason but was definitely on track for an early extension averaging around $30 million per year. However, everything turned to dust after that one collision.

Since returning, in 23 games, Ivey has lost his elite athleticism, possibly due to ongoing physical recovery. More importantly, he seems to have lost his former confidence. The team has risen without him, his status within the squad has dropped sharply, and his name frequently appears in trade rumors. To the Pistons, Ivey has become expendable.

In the final year of his rookie contract, Ivey is at the most awkward and crucial point of his career. With the trade deadline approaching, he urgently needs to prove his value to the team; otherwise, given the Pistons’ goals this season, he might become a trade asset to improve the roster.

Sometimes, playing in the NBA also requires a bit of luck. In his first two seasons, Ivey missed only 13 games total and maintained a good attendance record. His third season was shaping up to be a breakout year, but a blindside collision changed everything.

If Cole Anthony had stopped in time, if Ivey hadn’t been in that spot... there are many what-ifs, but after all the speculation, reality must be faced, and one must live in the present.