The Pistons are trading fourth-year guard Jaden Ivey to the Bulls in a three-team trade that also involves the Timberwolves, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Charania, Minnesota is sending veteran point guard Mike Conley to Chicago, while swingman Kevin Huerter and forward/center Dario Saric are headed from Chicago to Detroit. The Pistons will also acquire a protected 2026 first-round pick swap from the Timberwolves as part of the deal.
Ivey, who will turn 24 later this month, was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft and started 164 of 181 games in his first three seasons in Detroit, averaging 16.1 points and 4.4 assists per contest. However, he missed the second half of the 2024/25 season due to a broken left leg and had his debut this past fall delayed due to a right knee issue.
Ivey was playing a modest role for the East-leading Pistons this season, averaging just 8.2 PPG in 16.8 MPG in 33 outings (two starts).
With potential restricted free agency around the corner for Ivey, the Pistons apparently decided he wasn’t in their long-term plans and had begun fielding calls on him in recent weeks, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Bulls will add the former Purdue standout to an increasingly crowded backcourt that also features Josh Giddey, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones.
While Giddey is considered a building block in Chicago, the acquisition of Ivey could set up the Bulls to trade one or more of their other guards ahead of this Thursday’s deadline. Chicago will take control of Ivey’s Bird rights, positioning the team to sign him to a new contract as a free agent this July.
With Ivey playing a diminished role in Detroit, the Pistons decided to swap him for a sharpshooter in Huerter who will immediately fill a hole on the roster. As good as the 36-12 Pistons have been this season, three-point shooting remains an area of weakness for the club, which ranks just 27th in the NBA in three-point makes per game (11.1) and 21st in three-point percentage (34.8%).
Huerter has struggled from beyond the arc this season, making just 31.4% of his outside shots, but he entered the season as a career 37.5% shooter and finished strong after a similarly slow start in 2024/25.
It’s unclear whether the Pistons intend to hang onto Saric, who has made just 21 appearances since the start of the ’24/25 season. Even if they plan to eventually waive him, they’ll first need to open up a roster spot in order to accommodate the one-for-two trade.
The pick swap Detroit is acquiring from Minnesota should put the team in position to move up at least a handful of spots in the draft this June. If the season ended today, the Pistons’ pick would be able to swap the No. 29 pick for No. 23.
The Timberwolves are essentially making a salary-dump move by sending out Conley’s $10.8MM expiring contract. The team began the day operating more than $8MM over the first tax apron and with a projected tax bill of about $24MM, but they’ll move below the first apron by roughly $2.5MM and will reduce their projected tax bill to just $3.8MM, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
What Minnesota ends up doing with those savings remains to be seen. The extra flexibility could come in handy in a bigger move for a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo. The newly created $10.8MM trade exception (equivalent to Conley’s outgoing salary) could also be useful to acquire more backcourt help at the deadline if the Wolves aren’t able to land Giannis. Alternately, the club might just be a single move away from ducking the tax entirely.
It’s unclear based on the terms reported so far what the Wolves will be receiving in the three-team deal, but it will likely be a very minor asset like cash, a heavily protected second-round pick, or a draft-rights player.
The Pistons will use Ivey’s outgoing $10.1MM salary to match Huerter’s incoming $18MM expiring contract while employing a portion of their $14MM trade exception to absorb Saric’s expiring $5.4MM deal. The Bulls, meanwhile, could create a trade exception equivalent to Huerter’s $18MM outgoing salary by using Saric to match Conley and taking Ivey’s salary into their unused mid-level exception, observes cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).
who is Artūras Karnišovas and what have you done with him???????
LFGGGGGGGGGGGG
Raz- Hopefully this sets up more moves. Hopefully they can move Conley again but that might be difficult except as a salary match. Trade Coby and Conley can bring back a 22 million dollar piece instead of a 12 million dollar piece in Coby alone. It took years but AK finally came out of hibernation. Maybe all his sub zero cold did it. But he finally seems to have gotten an imagination. Getting Ivey makes trading an Ayo or Tre Jones more palatable anyway. Plus there’s always the possibility of getting Ayo back. You’re right so far so good. But shoot bigger please. He keeps getting guards back. He should shoot for more draft picks or bigs. Still doesn’t get that part yet.
Giddey? Ayo? Moves to come?
Means Coby has to be gone.
My first thought is that there must have been an earlier version of this trade where Colby went to Minnesota
Hopefully Ayo or Coby.
Did the t wolves just trade Conley for nothing
lmao, exactly, what are the Wolves getting? Doesn’t say that they acquire anything??? They have to get something here! What??
*Technically* they are getting a pick swap. It doesn’t matter that the swap is bad for them.
What it actually gets them is trade flexibility: they are now under the first apron and thus able to make another trade and take back more salary than they send out.
@ralph macchio where does it say that? A team is not allowed to enter a multi-team trade if they do not both give and get something. You likely are correct, it’s just not in the text in the main post above ^
Ok it is saying its a pick swap now, Minn trades Conley for a pick swap.
Looks like a salary dump, not only getting rid of Conley but also giving up a 1st rd pick. Must be a pre-cursor to a bigger move.
Ja.
Looks like the Wolves did this deal to clear out some space on their cap and roster. I see the Wolves making another deal, Giannis ?? maybe will see.
Detroit was said to be looking for a secondary scorer and they just readed someone how could be possibly a secondary scorer for a defensive player and a 15th man. They get a 1st round pick but I guess they aren’t looking to make a lot of noise in the playoffs this year
AD to the Wolves?
The Timberwolves are essentially making a salary-dump move by sending out Conley’s $10.8MM expiring contract. The team began the day operating more than $8MM over the first tax apron and with a projected tax bill of about $24MM, but they’ll move below the first apron by roughly $2.5MM and will reduce their projected tax bill to just $3.8MM, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
They traded Conley for 20 mill on tax savings
It’s a pick swap, that’s the tangible “you have something you give to me” part. The tax savings is not that.
What do the TWs get for Conley?
A chance at Giannis.
20 mill in tax bill relief
Coby White must be on the move, odd move with Bulls seeming to have like 4-5 guards already.
Yeah, White is probably going to MN in this deal. The TWs didn’t give up their FRP just to move Conley.
Yeah and Conley is expiring so wouldn’t benefit attaching a frp if no big return.
Unless they want Giannis or Ja at this deadline which is possible. Also, it’s just a pick swap, not a FRP on its own.
Ivey is in his final year. Doubt the Bulls would be trading Coby, Huerter and Saric in this deal and not receiving any assets
The bulls are not seriously sending a first pick swap away, right? I mean, there is no universe in which this team doesn’t rebuild next year, right?
Minn is sending the swap pick.
Was thinking Minn would be nice for I’ve but so far report has Minn getting no player or picks. They did clear some money for Giannis but need picks.
Wasnt he 5th overall pick?!
Uh Mike Conley and other guys (outside of Ivey) salary dump?
LOVE THIS DEAL for the Pistons
Huerter is a great fit for the team, whether off the bench or replacing Duncan if need be as a starter.
Obviously its cliche’ to say that he and Duncan Robinson are interchangeable as the stereotype white-guy 3 point shooter, but they definitely have separating skill sets.
Huerter is more of a ball handler, and his defense is significantly better than DR’s, even if he “plays smaller”.
Ivey isnt a bust…but he isnt the same player he was pre-injuries, and being a RFA and unable to secure worthwhile minutes his fit on DET this year and going forward was questionable. The fact that an undrafted two way player in Daniss Jenkins clearly outplayed him just cemented it.
I would have preferred Dosunmu, maybe even Coby White, but I’m just happy Trajan didn’t do like his DET GM counterparts like Holmes & Harris and sit on his hands.
Saric is a throw in, but he DOES add some size and outside shooting in front court, something team clearly lacked.
More has to be coming though. Pistons had full roster, so they can’t take two players for one, and already had to move a roster player so they can make Jenkins a full roster player. So two moves still to come!
Interesting move to get Ivey from Detroit. Adds another potential young piece to the core with Matas and Giddey. I would assume one of Ayo or Coby (or both) are going to be moved at the deadline
Bulls adding more irrelevancy to their sorry future
People, learn the cap please.
Salary dumping Conley gets Minnesota under the first apron which means they now have the ability to move multiple player in a trade and take more salary back then they send out.
The ability to trade when under the aprons is LIGHT AND DAY difference. This allows them to ramp up for either a large trade or multiple trades.
I know the cap, but the league rules are if a multi-team trade happens, all teams have to give and get something. Minny likely a 2RP from the Bulls, but nothing is showing in this post, yet. They do update them with more info when it becomes available.
When the bucks won in 6 in 2021 I was throwing pillows 😂
Ok it is saying its a pick swap now, Minn trades Conley for a pick swap.
So I guess we all wait to see what Minny gets ??????
Coby White lols ———- how long I been saying it.
Warch out now
I like it for Pistons. They add another shooter and depth. Imo they still need another Big. They are better. But don’t scare me until they add acbackup C.
yeah and I have a feeling Giannis is getting traded at some point. Im a bucks fan but if he does not get traded at this deadline, he’s gonna be gone before the offsesaon ends.
I think Ivey is a one year rental for Chicago. They really only gave up bad contracts for him, Conley will either be bought out or moved again by the deadline. Huerter is a huge get for Detroit, but Saric is a horrible contract. Their roster is over the limit so Isaac Jones will likely be gone. Good for Minnesota if it means they make another big deal.
For Bulls Ivey might be better than Coby. Right now he isn’t. I know he loved MJ growing up. So he should be psyched to Be in Chicago.
I hope Coby goes ro Minny. And they better send me a check lols ……,
so the timberwolves get nothing?
It’s coming
oh thanks
Coby White next?
I like this trade in theory for the Pistons, but can Kevin Huerter actually still shoot? His numbers have not been great the past few years. Playing next to Cade should help get him a lot of clean looks. I guess time will tell.
It sucks that this is how it ends for Ivey in Detroit. He showed a lot of promise, especially last season prior to his injury. He clearly had fallen out of favor with Bickerstaff and Langdon didn’t draft him, so I’m not surprised they decided he was the guy to get moved.
CHI does well. MIN just dumping Conley to CHI vs DET, suggests Conley will be bought out. NYK should look into it if that happens, although they’d have to make a move before THURs to open up even buyout space.
So Conley will be released? idk basketball that well lol
Don’t know for sure, but it looks that way to me.
Conley MIGHT be released or re traded as a salary match. Whether he gets released will depend on 1) whether he’s still here after the deadline 2) What guards are still here after the deadline 3) How Donovan thinks he might fit the system after the deadline. The Bulls like to run. I think Conley’s running days are over.
We just moved Ivey for Saric and Huerter….we will sign Jenkins for the playoffs…..we are not done…somebody has to go. We also got a protected 2026 first-round pick swap from the Timberwolves. Somebody or somebodies will be traded before 3 Thursday to sign Jenkins.
PISTONS cruising to the 1st seed in the East, they should have stood pat – see what they have in the playoffs, Ivey was rounding up his game even off the bench.
I get it, more shooting (after Duncan sits) is badly needed as well, but this one doesn’t sit well with me, by a bit.