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ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony makes bold prediction for Knicks

By Jordanna Clark

WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 20: Jaden Ivey #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers reacts after a play in the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Mackey Arena on February 20, 2022 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 20: Jaden Ivey #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers reacts after a play in the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Mackey Arena on February 20, 2022 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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The 2022 NBA Draft is in 22 days and the New York Knicks have the No. 11 pick, but that could change. New York wasn’t lucky enough to break into the top four in the draft lottery, although the front office could find a way to do that soon.

There’s a belief that the Sacramento Kings will look to trade back from the No. 4 pick in the draft and according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Knicks have remained interested in Purdue’s Jaden Ivey. There’s absolutely no way that Ivey will still be on the board by the time that New York makes its pick at No. 11.

Could New York be planning to trade up in the draft to nab Ivey? Possibly. And when ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony was asked to make one bold prediction about the upcoming draft, that’s exactly what he said.

ESPN NBA Draft analyst believes Knicks will trade up and draft Jaden Ivey

The Knicks trading up for Ivey is a possibility that’s been repeated a few times now. In ESPN’s latest mock draft (subscription required), Givony had the Kings selecting Ivey at No. 4. In explaining Sacramento’s current situation, Givony wrote:

"Opinions are split greatly among NBA executives at this point regarding who the best prospect is at this spot in the draft, and there’s no clear home run candidate for what makes sense with Sacramento’s existing players. On top of that, the Kings may not be viewed by agents as the most attractive situation for their clients either, which could prevent them from getting a full view of their options in terms of private workouts and medicals. That’s one of the reasons some teams feel this pick is attainable in a trade if an established veteran who could help the Kings make a playoff push is available."

That brings up the idea of the Kings possibly being interested in trading down to No. 11 for an “established veteran” like Julius Randle, who’s fresh off a rocky year in New York. Randle’s career began in California in 2014 with the Los Angeles Lakers, and although he hasn’t come out publicly and said that he no longer wants to be a Knick, he could still be traded this summer.

And New York’s front office has been eyeing point guard options, from Jalen Brunson to Ivey. Plenty of fans have called for Immanuel Quickley to have the starting point guard role, and while that could still happen, the Knicks seem to be in pursuit of a different option. And with the draft being right around the corner, their eyes are reportedly on Ivey.

The 20-year-old had a breakout 2021-22 season at Purdue. He averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 36 games while shooting 46% from the floor, 35.8% from the 3-point line, and 74.4% from the free-throw line. Ivey’s numbers jumped up drastically from his first year with the Boilermakers.

Ivey could end up going to Houston at No. 3, Sacramento at No. 4, Detroit at No. 5, or even Indiana at No. 6, but then again, New York’s front office could surprise us all, just like Givony said.

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