Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff says Jaden Ivey gets ‘fresh start’ with Bulls
Coty Davis asks J.B. Bickerstaff about “business decision” to trade Jaden Ivey to Chicago.
Detroit — The NBA trade deadline has passed, but the Detroit Pistons are still making roster moves. The next priority is converting Daniss Jenkins’ two-way contract. Friday’s game against the New York Knicks will be Jenkins’ 50th and final game under his current contract. According to league rules, a two-way player cannot play in more than 50 games on their current deal.
While negotiations are still ongoing, Trajan Langdon, the president of basketball operations, announced on Friday that the team plans to convert Jenkins to a standard contract by the end of this weekend. The goal is to have Jenkins on a standard deal ahead of their upcoming road game against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.
“He has worked his butt off, playing a ton of games of Motor City (Cruise), his improvements throughout the year. Plus, everyone saw how he played during the Summer League in Las Vegas,” Langdon said. “He has continued to improve, working with not only his own trainers, but with our staff as well. He had a great camp. When the opportunity came, he took advantage of it.”
After the offseason departure of Dennis Schroder, the Pistons started the season needing to fill a major gap for the backup point-guard position. A handful of injuries in mid-November created an opportunity for Jenkins, who has since emerged as one of the league’s best stories while remaining an essential part of Detroit’s success.
He has proven to be a reliable secondary scorer who can create opportunities for himself and his teammates. However, his ability to keep the Pistons competitive during non-Cade-Cunningham minutes has been his biggest attribute.
Through 49 games this season, Jenkins has averaged 7.9 points on 42.1% shooting from the field, 38.5% 3-point shooting, to go along with 3.3 assists. The Pistons have gone 6-1 with Jenkins as a starter, averaging 15.2 points and 6.7 assists. The Pistons originally signed Jenkins to a two-way deal after he went undrafted during the 2024 NBA Draft.
@cotydavis_24
Pistons guard Kevin Huerter on playing alongside Cade Cunningham
Kevin Huerter has had success with elite playmakers like Trae Young and De’Aaron Fox.
