This series of articles takes five shots at predicting trades that will go down at the 2025-26 NBA trade deadline. The fourth one has the Pistons using Jaden Ivey to trade for Collin Sexton as a bench upgrade that will add scoring and playmaking.
Hornets Get:
Jaden Ivey
2026 DET 1st
Pistons Get:
Collin Sexton
2026 2nd (DEN or GSW)
Why Trading for Collin Sexton Makes Sense for the Pistons
Collin Sexton and Jaden Ivey are players of the same archetype. Sexton, though, is better in most every regard.
The Pistons need outside shooting and additional playmaking to supplement Cade Cunningham. Currently, the Pistons’ leader in assists per game outside of Cunningham is Daniss Jenkins at 3.3.
Sexton is currently averaging 3.9 APG (to Ivey’s 1.7) in a primarily off-the-bench role, but has averaged as high as 4.9 when he was in a leading guard role in Utah two years ago. Jenkins has been exceptional for a player on a two-way so far this season, but the Pistons would feel a lot more comfortable if he were the third option as a playmaker for Detroit’s playoff run.
Sexton has flirted with 50/40 seasons before, and this year is no different. He’s currently averaging just over 10 field goal attempts per game, but has a career high for a season of over 18 back in 2021 with the Cavaliers — a season in which he averaged 24.3 points per game.
Sexton is a premier scoring and facilitating sixth man, and he plays with the requisite intensity that Detroit basketball currently demands. He would no doubt be an upgrade over Ivey. Furthermore, he, like Ivey, is an expiring contract. If, for whatever reason, Sexton doesn’t work out, the Pistons can let him go with no long-term harm.
The Pistons are riding the high of a great season as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference. The only price Detroit would have to pay to swap Ivey for Sexton (besides the rights to Marcus Sasser to make the trade feasible) would be to move their 2026 late-first-round pick into the second round.
Why Trading for Jaden Ivey Makes Sense for the Hornets
The Hornets are right on the verge of a breakout. They’re .500 (14-14) since Thanksgiving, but a 4-13 start to the season has them bogged down and outside the Play-In as things stand.
With their eyes on the draft lottery for what will hopefully be the last time for a long time, Charlotte could benefit by getting worse this season.
As previously discussed, Ivey is a downgrade from Sexton; however, he is younger and likely has more untapped potential. After dealing with a bevy of injuries in his first four years with Detroit, a change of scenery could benefit his development. Ivey could slide right into Sexton’s spot, get all of Sexton’s minutes, and deal with less pressure to succeed right now than he otherwise would in Detroit.
Again, the Hornets are hoping that this is their last season where losing is acceptable. By all accounts, next year is the year for them to burst onto the scene.
With that in mind, moving their second-round pick in 2026 up and into the first round, in what many consider to be a deep and loaded draft, would allow them to improve on a selection and bring a better rookie in the door before they hit the accelerator.
Why This Trade Won’t Happen
The Pistons using Ivey as a trade piece has been speculated all season long, and there are an array of other viable options Detroit could target. Some of those theoretical names include Coby White, Malik Monk and Quentin Grimes. The Pistons could easily go a different way.
Although the Pistons reportedly aren’t looking to give up significant trade equity, according to Jake Fischer, a larger trade for a player such as Michael Porter Jr., who would shore up their frontcourt scoring needs, remains on the table.
For Charlotte, even though they have ground to make up to enter the Play-In, their recent play suggests that if they get there, the Hornets could make some noise in a not-so-deep Eastern Conference. Sexton would be a crucial piece in those efforts.
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