It seems like a lot more time than a few months have passed since New York Knicks fans were crossing their fingers that the front office would trade up in the 2022 NBA Draft and select Jaden Ivey. Draft night left fans with far more questions than answers as the hope of getting the Purdue guard quickly faded away.
Less than two weeks after the draft, Rudy Gobert was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, which allowed Knicks fans to shift their attention to pursuing Donovan Mitchell. That’s the story that ended up consuming the summer, but that didn’t work out in New York’s favor, either.
With that in the past, the Knicks’ attention is on the 2022-23 season. In several hours, New York will take the court at Madison Square Garden to face the Detroit Pistons in the team’s first preseason contest. And in a few short weeks, the Pistons will be back at MSG for the Knicks’ home opener. This is no coincidence, as Detroit selected the player that New York was after, so two of the 20-year-old’s first games in the NBA will take place in the Mecca.
Sources: The Knicks are still in pursuit of acquiring Jaden Ivey, sources said, even after Detroit selected the Purdue combo guard.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 24, 2022
The Knicks will see Jaden Ivey and the Pistons twice in the coming weeks
New York’s preseason opener against Detroit holds far fewer implications than the team’s home opener versus the Pistons on Oct. 21. Detroit finished below the Knicks in 2021-22 with a 23-59 record, but the two teams could end up sitting close to one another in the rankings throughout the season.
Like New York, Detroit has a solid young core. The Pistons were able to capitalize on that by selecting Ivey at No. 5 and trading for Jalen Duren on draft night, as well as by re-signing Marvin Bagley III. Let’s not forget about Kevin Knox, who signed a two-year contract in free agency. The former 2018 lottery pick’s career didn’t play out as hoped with the Knicks, but his career could have a resurgence with the Pistons.
On Tuesday night, eyes will be on the much anticipated Jaden Ivey-Cade Cunningham backcourt. That’s a duo that could end up being a threat to New York for years to come. Ivey’s made it clear that he’s happy to be in Detroit, and especially now that the Knicks have Jalen Brunson, there’s no need for fans to think about what could’ve been.
Let’s see what New York has in store for Ivey and Cunningham at MSG tonight.
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