Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey has been cleared to resume basketball activities as he continues his recovery from a fractured left fibula, the team announced Thursday. Ivey suffered the injury on Jan. 1 and has been sidelined for more than three months.
The team said Ivey “continues to make progress” in his rehab and is entering the reconditioning phase of his recovery, which will soon transition into on-court work. The Pistons added that his status will be updated in two weeks.
Jaden Ivey is Making Strong Progress as Detroit Pistons Near Playoffs
Despite being limited to just 30 games this season, Ivey has posted a career-best 17.6 points per game, ranking second on the team in scoring. His return could offer a significant boost to a Pistons squad that has clinched a playoff spot for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Detroit enters Thursday with a 43-36 record, sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.
“It’s been really quick, honestly, since I got injured,” Ivey said in March, per the Detroit Free Press. “I feel like things are progressing well. I’m doing my treatments on top of everything… I want to be out there so bad. I’m putting in the work to get back.”
Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff emphasized last week that the team is maintaining a cautious approach with the 22-year-old guard’s return.
“We’ll take our time and we’re not going to ever put him in a position where we feel it’s forced or rushed, where something even worse can happen,” Bickerstaff said.
The Pistons host the New York Knicks (50-29) on Thursday night. If the Knicks secure the No. 3 seed, they could meet Detroit in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Ivey’s status will remain one to watch as the postseason nears.
