Tag: Jaden Ivey

NBA Draft 2022: Is Jaden Ivey a good bet to go No. 4 overall?

The Kings have the fourth overall pick in the draft.

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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‘Who’s better today? Keegan’: Fran McCaffery lauds, defends Keegan Murray ahead of 2022 NBA draft

In an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Fran McCaffery said he expects Keegan Murray to be drafted No. 4 overall.

In an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio with hosts Evan Cohen and Amin Elhassan, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery went to bat for his former superstar Keegan Murray.

While he’s been widely considered a surefire 2022 NBA draft lottery pick, Murray hasn’t quite been talked about in the same light as the perceived top three entering this week’s draft. That perceived top trio includes Auburn forward Jabari Smith, Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren and Duke forward Paolo Banchero.

Instead, Murray has typically been regarded by NBA draft analysts as part of that next wave of players one tier down. Don’t tell that to his former head coach, though.

“Well, you know, I agree with what you said about the first three, but I don’t in any way think that those guys are better than him, any one of the three of them. So, assuming you’re right, which it certainly seems like you are, I would expect him to go four, but, you know, I just don’t look at any of those three guys and say, ‘Okay, that guy’s better than Keegan.’ No, they’re not,” McCaffery said in his appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

The hosts followed up by noting that there’s a difference between saying a player is better than Murray versus one of the perceived top three making more sense as an NBA franchise looks to build for its longterm future.

McCaffery was then asked if he could understand an NBA team drafting any of that perceived top three over Murray, while also not directly meaning that an NBA team thinks that player is better than Murray today.

“I think that’s a fair question, okay, because like, you know, I think, especially with Chet (Holmgren), okay, you look at him and say, ‘I get it, alright.’ You know, he could be a generational talent with Kevin Durant’s size and shooting ability, and really good feel and he’s a rim protector.

“You know, obviously, the only question with him has always been his body. You see, I’ve been watching that kid…I mean, we recruited him hard, so I watched him as a sophomore, as a freshman in high school. So, the answer to that question, yeah, do I get him? Yeah, I get him. Who’s better today? Keegan. You know, so, you could say, ‘Okay, well, maybe he’s better tomorrow, too.’ He’s better today. He’s got a chance to be better tomorrow,” McCaffery said.

Nobody can blame McCaffery for going to bat for Murray as arguably the top player in this 2022 NBA draft and as a player that should be garnering the same type of attention heading into draft night that Smith, Holmgren and Banchero have enjoyed. After all, Murray just finished a season where he averaged the most points by a Power Five player at 23.5 points per game.

The 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward did a little bit of everything for the Hawkeyes last season and is described by a number of basketball analysts as the most “NBA-ready” player in this year’s draft. ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said as much recently.

“The player that is most NBA-ready, who you can plug in right now, is Keegan Murray. He is an incredibly smart player. Keegan is mature enough to step into the NBA and perform at a high level right away,” Bilas said.

Murray also just polished off a season where he averaged the second-most rebounds per game by a Big Ten player with 8.7 boards per night and he shot 39.8% from 3-point range. Mix that offensive package in with the ability to defend the one through four positions comfortably at the next level and someone is getting a heck of a talent.

It will certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out for Murray on Thursday night. The top five in the 2022 NBA draft order looks like this: No. 1 overall is the Orlando Magic, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the No. 2 pick, the Houston Rockets have pick No. 3, the Sacramento Kings own pick No. 4 and the Detroit Pistons have pick No. 5.

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Jaden Ivey doesn’t sound like a guy who wants to be drafted by the Kings

Ivey revealed that he has only worked out for the Magic and Pistons ahead of the draft on Thursday.

Projected top-five pick Jaden Ivey on Monday revealed that he has only worked out for the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons ahead of the NBA draft on Thursday.

Ivey, a consensus All-American, is widely expected to be the fourth player off the board to the Sacramento Kings behind Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith Jr. in some order. However, Ivey has not been in contact with the Kings, nor has he worked out with them.

He explained that he hasn’t intentionally avoided the Kings.

I’m kinda just letting this process just handle itself. If I got drafted there, it wouldn’t be the worst option. I’m not the GM who picks the guys so I’m kinda just trying to enjoy this process and whatever happens on draft night, I’m just going to stick with it.

However, it appears as though there is more to the situation than that.

A report surfaced last week that stated Sacramento is not Ivey’s preferred destination in the draft. He even acknowledged on Monday that there are scenarios in which he could land with the New York Knicks, who would need to trade up from No. 11 to take him.

The Knicks were mentioned last week among the teams that have expressed interest in potentially moving up to the fourth spot to take Ivey. The Kings’ asking price to accommodate such a move is said to be steep and it is unclear if New York has the assets needed to strike a deal.

Ivey believes he could fit in with the Kings, or any other team.

They recently just drafted Davion Mitchell. They have guys like (Domantas) Sabonis. Obviously, a great guy like De’Aaron Fox. They have a lot of talent (and are) trying to get some guys in to complement them. I think I’d fit in anywhere but we’re going to see what happens on draft night.

Ivey averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a sophomore last season at Purdue. Given his overall skills, Ivey is projected to be able to contribute now while also developing into a potential star, making him a prime target for teams.

Of course, the Kings can still draft Ivey despite not speaking with him. They drafted Mitchell last year after not receiving his medical information or interviewing him prior to the draft. But the comments made by Ivey on Monday were not exactly a ringing endorsement of the team.

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In any case, Ivey has spent much of the summer in Los Angeles training at Proactive Sports Performance. He has worked extensively on improving several components of his offensive game.

I feel like just this summer, I worked on areas of my game that can help me showcase who I am on the NBA level. I’ve been working on my mid-range, floaters and things I really couldn’t show on the college stage. I think I’m ready for all of the types of challenges that are going to come my way in the NBA.

The situation between Ivey and the Kings will be worth monitoring as the draft approaches. The Kings have been mentioned as a team that will look to make a move so it very well could be another team selecting fourth overall on Thursday.

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

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Jaden Ivey talks about his contact with the Thunder in pre-draft interview

“They have a lot of young talent. I think I can help that organization if they draft me.”

Former Purdue guard and top-five projected pick Jaden Ivey spoke with the media on Monday in his pre-draft media availability, where he talked about his contact with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ivey said that while he didn’t make the trip to Oklahoma City for a workout, Thunder personnel were in attendance in Los Angeles for his workouts.

“After pro day, they came to watch me work out. I didn’t go to OKC to work out. I think the Thunder’s an up-and-coming team,” said Ivey. “They have a lot of young talent. I think I can help that organization if they draft me.”

Ivey also said that his role models are Ja Morant and Thunder legend Russell Westbrook — linking himself to a hyper-athletic guard with superb aggressiveness.

Ivey has been linked to the Thunder several times as a potential wildcard at No. 2. When asked about a potential fit with the Sacramento Kings at No. 4, Ivey didn’t sound too excited about the possibility as he revealed he hasn’t worked out for the team.

“If I got drafted there, it wouldn’t be the worst option,” said Ivey.

Even with the recent smoke surrounding the Thunder and Ivey, it’s still hard to imagine the team taking him at No. 2. If the Thunder are to select Ivey, it will likely happen with a trade — whether it’s a trade down from No. 2 or a trade up from No. 12.

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