Tag: Jaden Ivey

We’ve heard to keep an ear out for …

We’ve heard to keep an ear out for OKC’s potential interest in Ivey at No. 2. While Holmgren has been perceived as a top-three pick all season, some scouts prefer Ivey. His fit isn’t ideal for a roster that already has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, but a team who sees Ivey as a surefire star won’t pass on him due to fit questions. Of course, there is a difference between OKC being high on Ivey and actually making the pick with Holmgren and Banchero on the board.

Rumor: Knicks expressing strong interest in Purdue’s Jaden Ivey

Ivey has reportedly garnered plenty of interest from the Knicks ahead of the NBA draft on June 23.

Purdue sophomore Jaden Ivey enters the 2022 NBA draft highly touted for his playmaking and ability to score, and is considered to be a top-five pick, as a result.

Ivey, who was a consensus All-American, averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season. He finished as one of two players in the country (Paolo Banchero, Duke) to record at least 600 points, 175 rebounds, 100 assists, 30 steals and 20 blocked shots.

The prevailing thought is Ivey should fall no further than the Indiana Pacers with the sixth pick, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Ivey has even garnered plenty of interest from the New York Knicks but should be well off the board when they are on the clock at 11.

Elsewhere in the point guard conversation, word of New York’s interest in Purdue sophomore Jaden Ivey has been often repeated by league personnel. Ivey, though, is all but assured to be selected within the first six picks of the draft, where the Indiana Pacers are considered by several executives contacted by B/R as his floor.

The Knicks have been long rumored into wanting to upgrade the point guard position on their roster. They have been linked to Donovan Mitchell but are unlikely to be able to land him from the Utah Jazz and will need to look elsewhere to improve their backcourt.

Ivey proved to be as explosive as they come with the ball in his hands, something that can fit in with any NBA team. His decision-making and shot creation seem improved throughout the season, which should help him transition to the next level.

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Of course, New York would need to trade up in order to have the opportunity to take Ivey, something that could prove to be difficult to do. But with the draft just over three weeks away, the Knicks figure to be busy working the phones to explore such a move.

The NBA draft will take place on June 23.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Why the Knicks could (and probably should) trade up for Jaden Ivey, their rumored NBA draft target

Jaden Ivey has star potential.

After missing the postseason, the New York Knicks are widely expected to improve their backcourt either through free agency or the trade market.

New York’s point guard depth is murky at best, and most of their rostered players (Derrick Rose, Kemba Walker, Alec Bucks) do not project as long-term bets.

The Knicks could make sense as a home for Donovan Mitchell if Utah decides to blow it up. Notable free agent guards, specifically Jalen Brunson and Tyus Jones, are often linked to New York as fits this offseason as well.

But perhaps the organization could also look to make such changes by using the NBA draft. One potential target is Purdue’s Jaden Ivey, who has received comparisons to Mitchell by analysts such as The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.

The ping pong balls gave New York the No. 11 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft on lottery night, which means that Ivey will almost definitely be off the board when they are on the clock. However, according to Jake Fischer, Ivey is still mentioned as someone the Knicks covet (via Bleacher Report):

“Elsewhere in the point guard conversation, word of New York’s interest in Purdue sophomore Jaden Ivey has been often repeated by league personnel. Ivey, though, is all but assured to be selected within the first six picks of the draft, where the Indiana Pacers are considered by several executives contacted by B/R as his floor.”

Fischer isn’t the first to make the connection between Ivey and the Knicks.

Marc Berman, of the New York Post, recently reported that Ivey was one of the twenty prospects that the Knicks met with at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.

Berman also hinted Ivey’s agency representation could ignite these rumors:

“It’s also noteworthy is that Ivey is a Creative Artists Agency client — guided by Aaron Mintz, a friend of Knicks president Leon Rose, who used to run CAA.”

For better or for worse, whether it’s with the hiring process for coaches or on draft night, the CAA connections have followed the Knicks for years.

Those whispers are inevitable when you hire someone like Rose, who ran CAA’s basketball division for years. Rose, alongside New York head coach and CAA client Tom Thibodeau, was recently spotted at Ivey’s Pro Day with CAA in Southern California.

Of course, there is always a chance that New York’s reported interest in the former Purdue star was planted to help boost his draft stock. Ivey, however, is a good enough player that the interest is likely at least mostly legitimate and deserved.

Putting the CAA connection aside, I like the fit for Ivey with the Knicks. He has real star power, and few would tell you there is a better backcourt player in this class.

Ivey is also probably the most athletic prospect in this draft class. The guard was one of the most productive scorers on unassisted field goals made at the rim and on the perimeter last season.

Additionally, he brings something to the table that New York doesn’t currently have. The Knicks ended this season with the fifth-lowest transition frequency, per Synergy. Ivey, meanwhile, ended his campaign as one of the leading scorers when finishing as the ball handler in transition.

There is no reason for Knicks fans to get their hopes up about Ivey magically becoming available with the No. 11 overall pick. However, in this scenario, I believe there is enough smoke surrounding these rumors that I wouldn’t at all be surprised if the front office decides to trade up.

It is worth mentioning that, per Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, the Thunder are at least considering Ivey at No. 3 overall. Otherwise, the main team to watch as a trade partner for the Knicks is the Kings, who own the No. 4 overall pick in the draft.

At the trade deadline, Sacramento traded away promising young guard Tyrese Haliburton for the veteran big man Domantas Sabonis. This suggests the Kings are satisfied with their backcourt duo of De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell, and thus they probably won’t want Ivey, either.

When the Kings hired Mike Brown, he was given a “mandate” to make the playoffs. So if they are in win-now mode, there are veterans in New York who could help that in the immediate more than a rookie like Ivey.

The Knicks could package some depth (Burks, Rose, Evan Fournier, Nerlens Noel, Cam Reddish) that may intrigue the Kings. They are also armed with their own lottery pick this year, two first-rounders next year, and a ton of second-rounders over the course of the next few years.

Given his potential All-Star trajectory and showstopping highlight reel that could electrify Madison Square Garden, New York’s front office ought to do whatever they can to land Ivey. The home-run swing could be well worth the investment.

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Jonathan Wasserman reports Thunder might like Jaden Ivey enough to take him second overall in 2022 NBA draft

“We’ve heard to keep an ear out for OKC’s potential interest in Ivey at No. 2. While Holmgren has been perceived as a top-three pick all season, some scouts prefer Ivey.”

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman released his latest mock on Tuesday for the 2022 NBA draft and he still has the Oklahoma City Thunder taking Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren second overall. Afterward, Wasserman reported to keep an eye out for the Thunder potentially surprising everybody and taking Purdue guard Jaden Ivey with the second overall pick.

“We’ve heard to keep an ear out for OKC’s potential interest in Ivey at No. 2. While Holmgren has been perceived as a top-three pick all season, some scouts prefer Ivey. His fit isn’t ideal for a roster that already has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, but a team who sees Ivey as a surefire star won’t pass on him due to fit questions. Of course, there is a difference between OKC being high on Ivey and actually making the pick with Holmgren and Banchero on the board.”

Other players mocked to the Thunder include Memphis center Jalen Duran going 12th, Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley going 30th and Arizona center Christian Koloko going 34th overall.

The reporting doesn’t sound super assuring that the Thunder would be willing to throw a curveball and take Ivey second overall. It appears that while the Thunder might like Ivey more than most, it’s not enough to take him at second when someone like Holmgren will most likely be available. With ESPN already reporting that most teams around the league believe Holmgren will be drafted by the Thunder, it’s hard to envision that not being the case suddenly. It’s important to keep in mind that it’s that time of the year where rumors run wild and there are an infinite amount of contradicting information.

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Report: Purdue’s Jaden Ivey being evaluated by Rockets at No. 3 pick

ESPN draft guru Jonathan Givony on Jaden Ivey: “The idea of constructing arguably the most explosive backcourt in the NBA is said to be intriguing for Rockets brass.”

The top-three prospects on most draft boards are three bigs: Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith, and Duke’s Paolo Banchero. With the Houston Rockets landing the No. 3 pick in the NBA’s 2022 draft lottery, most analysts expect them to take whichever big remains.

But could there potentially be a late twist prior to the June 23 draft? In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony writes:

The Rockets pick third in what many consider to be a three-player draft, making this a relatively easy choice on face value. (Jaden) Ivey’s candidacy is also under consideration here, as the idea of constructing arguably the most explosive backcourt in the NBA is said to be intriguing for Rockets brass.

Givony still lists Banchero to the Rockets as his official projection for the No. 3 slot in the first round. In theory, the big man from Duke is a cleaner roster fit for a Rockets squad that already has the likes of Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Josh Christopher in the backcourt.

But as the calendar turns to June, whether Ivey can make a push in the final weeks is a storyline worth monitoring. The rebuilding Rockets are in a spot where they’re likely to prioritize talent ahead of fit — and if Houston views Ivey as the best talent, they can worry about the rest later.

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Ranadive and McNair attended a CAA pro …

Ranadive and McNair attended a CAA pro day workout featuring Purdue shooting guard Jaden Ivey and Duke small forward AJ Griffin, both of whom are projected as top-10 picks. McNair was also seen in footage of a separate pro day workout in Santa Barbara that featured Arizona shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin, another player who could be taken in the top 10. Ivey, 20, could be the best player available if the Kings stay at No. 4. He is the top-rated shooting guard in the draft and the fourth-ranked player on ESPN’s big board behind Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren, Auburn power forward Jabari Smith and Duke power forward Paolo Banchero.

Yahoo Sports reports rumblings of the Thunder really liking Purdue guard Jaden Ivey

Jaden Ivey, who some compare to Ja Morant, is being linked to the Thunder.

In Yahoo Sport’s Krysten Peek’s article from last Friday, she mentions some new information that previously hasn’t been talked about regarding the Oklahoma City Thunder and who they might take second overall in the 2022 NBA draft.

The article mentions how the Thunder really like Purdue guard Jaden Ivey and that there were rumblings during the combine that he is a wildcard candidate for going second overall.

“There are essentially four players in play for the Thunder’s second pick: Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Jaden Ivey. Smith and Holmgren are favored to go one and two, but there have been rumblings this week at the draft combine in Chicago that the Thunder really like Ivey and he could be Ja Morant 2.0.”

The top two picks in most mocks have Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren going one and two in one order or another, so it’s a little bit surprising to hear this tidbit of news about the Thunder liking Ivey. With that said, Thunder general manager Sam Presti has a history of going against the grain with drafts, with the most famous example being selecting Russell Westbrook fourth overall in the 2008 NBA draft.

It is important to keep in mind that it’s that time of the year where draft rumors and speculation are flying everywhere as sources have ulterior motives when it comes to leaking information to the public. So it’s best to just wait and see what happens while keeping information like this under consideration.

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