Among the biggest perceived locks at the top of the draft, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey going No. 4 overall is at the top of the list. He seems to be the consensus best player available after the expected top three of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith. But does that mean it’s worth betting on to be the fourth player drafted?
A first-team All-Big Ten selection, Ivey is widely considered the best guard in the draft. He averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists last season while leading the Boilermakers to the Sweet 16. A survey of different mock drafts have him as the favorite to be drafted fourth overall, as do his -130 odds.
I do think he’ll be the best player at that spot and there’s been a lot of buzz about teams looking to trade up to grab him. My only hesitation is that I haven’t seen many trade packages that make sense for the Kings, who currently hold the pick. And if they stand pat, can we really trust Sacramento to make the consensus pick?
Sure, they’ve taken a point guard with three of their last five lottery picks, but the one time they didn’t they picked Marvin Bagley over Luka Doncic and Trae Young. And two of those guards they did pick — De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell — are still on the roster. So it’s possible if they can’t move, they’ll simply go with a best fit option like Keegan Murray instead.
Ultimately, though, I do think a team gets desperate enough to give the Kings what they want in a deal. Or Sacramento could draft and stash him for a later deal. I like Ivey’s chances here.
The pick: Ivey at No. 4 Overall (-130)
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