Are the New York Knicks preparing to shock their fanbase on draft night? Not in the typical bad way, but in a good way. Maybe so. New York has the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, so Purdue guard Jaden Ivey will be off the board by then, unless the Knicks put themselves in a position to be the team to select Ivey.
Ivey was a main topic of conversation leading up to the draft lottery. Why? Because many believe that he could develop into the point guard that New York has been waiting for so long. Then there’s the crowd that believes Immanuel Quickley should be given a fair opportunity at the starting job.
If the Knicks stay at No. 11 and draft a player like Bennedict Mathurin and don’t land a point guard in a trade or free agency (which seems to be what’s going to happen), then the keys will likely be handed over to Quickley.
But there’s been too much buzz around New York bringing in a new point guard, so even if that doesn’t happen with Jalen Brunson, expect the Knicks to address that position specifically during the offseason.
And it could happen in a little less than a month because New York interviewed Ivey at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine last week in Chicago.
New York Knicks interviewed guard Jaden Ivey at 2022 NBA Draft Combine
Let’s think about this for a moment. The Knicks were able to conduct up to 20 interviews at the draft combine, so why pass up the opportunity to speak to a player like Ivey? But at the same time, why would New York be concerned with a player who will be off the board by the time that the No. 11 pick rolls around?
It’s good to explore all options, so if the front office is thinking about trading up in the draft, it’s best to have all of the bases covered before doing so. Right now it’s just an idea, but it could become a reality on draft night.
And we know that there’s reportedly a “strong belief” that the Sacramento Kings are going to trade the No. 4 pick. According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the organization is interested in moving “out of the draft entirely for an impact veteran or down later in the lottery to net a contributing rotation player in the process.”
The Knicks have one “impact veteran” in particular who could be leaving New York before his four-year, $117 million extension kicks in. And even outside of Julius Randle, the Knicks are armed with assets.
So, what’re the chances of Ivey calling New York his next home? Like the other rumors that have been swirling around the organization, we’ll just have to wait and see (we’re looking at you, Donovan Mitchell).
But as New York Post’s Marc Berman noted, Ivey has an interesting connection to Leon Rose. Berman wrote:
"It’s also noteworthy that Ivey is a Creative Artists Agency client — guided by Aaron Mintz, a friend of Knicks president Leon Rose, who used to run CAA."
Rose has a pretty interesting draft resume since he joined the Knicks in 2020. Will Ivey be the next player to be drafted by New York?
3 realistic targets Knicks can draft with No. 11 pick
The New York Knicks will have the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23 and here are 3 players that they could select.