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DETROIT — From the ownership to the new front office and coaching staff, the Detroit Pistons have been vocal about their belief in their young core. They proved that on Monday by ensuring a few of them will be around a little while longer. The Pistons announced they’ve exercised the fourth-year team options on Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, their first-round picks from the 2022 NBA Draft.
Additionally, they’ve exercised the third-year team options for Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser, their first-round picks from last year’s draft. Under the previous regime led by former general manager Troy Weaver and former head coach Monty Williams, the Pistons opted against keeping two players from their young roster — Killian Hayes, whom they eventually waived, and James Wiseman, who left the team in free agency to sign with the Indiana Pacers. Ivey, whom the Pistons selected with the No.
5 overall pick in 2022, showed flashes of his potential during his rookie season, averaging 16.3 points, 5.2 assists and 3.
9 rebounds. His efforts earned him a spot in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend and NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. However, he saw a decline in his production and inconsistency with his playing time last season under Williams.
His averages dipped to 15.4 points, 3.8 assists and 3.
4 rebounds. Ivey alluded to the frustration last season playing under Williams, but he remained positive and continued to work on his game — something new coach J.B.
Bickerstaff has appreciated. “I don’t know how much time you guys get the opportunity to spend with him, but he’s an unbelievable person who spends a ton of time in the gym working on his game, trying to get better, (and) wanting to improve,” Bickerstaff told reporters last Wednesday. Duren, whom the Pistons acquired from the New York Knicks during the 2022 draft, has been a solid addition over his first two years.
Like Ivey, he also earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors and showed promise as a young talent in the league. While his skills in the low post — on both offense and defense — were up and down last season, he saw an increase in production, averaging 13.8 points and 11.
6 rebounds. Thompson, whom the Pistons selected in last year’s draft with the No. 5 overall pick, had a promising rookie season.
He started 38 of 63 games, showcasing his skills as a versatile scorer and on-ball defender. However, his season was cut short in March. After 11 minutes of action in a Mar.
9 contest against the Dallas Mavericks, Thompson exited the game with an illness, later revealed to be blood clots. While he has resumed non-contact basketball activity, NBA and NBPA medical staff have yet to clear him to return to full activities. Thompson averaged 8.
8 points and 6.4 rebounds. Sasser, whom the Pistons traded back into the first round to select, had a solid rookie campaign and proved to be one of the team’s best three-point shooters.
He averaged 8.3 points while shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc and added 3.
3 assists in 71 games (11 starts). The Pistons will tip off their 2024-25 season at home when they host the Indiana Pacers at Little Caesars Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.
m. ET..
