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According to recent rumors, the Knicks are very interested in Jaden Ivey. How could they trade up to actually land him in the NBA Draft?
The New York Knicks are rumored to be looking for a point guard upgrade this offseason. While Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson are spicier and more oft-mentioned options, both could out to be longshots given the Knicks’ trade assets and cap sheet. However, a recent report by Bleacher-Report’s Jack Fischer mentioned another option in the NBA Draft:
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.
Ivey would be a very interesting fit in New York but it would take some maneuvering to actually land him in the draft. How could the Knicks get it done?
3. Knicks trade with the Pacers to move up to No. 6 in the NBA Draft
This may be the most fragile scenario since it relies on Ivey still being available at No. 6, which could turn out to be a huge longshot. However, if he’s still there the Knicks could make a reasonably interesting offer to the Pacers.
Indiana is not likely to have any interest in Julius Randle and so finding something to package with the No. 11 pick to make it worth it for the Pacers is the challenge. Even a pair of fringier young players like Cam Reddish and Quentin Grimes may not be enough unless Indiana really thinks they have a diamond in the rough waiting for them later in the lottery. However, the Knicks could also offer either their own 2023 first-round pick or the rights to the Mavericks’ 2023 first pick.
Obviously, the Pacers would prefer the Knicks pick in that scenario but if New York really feels like Ivey is a game-changer for them and wants to bet on their own ability to play their way out of the lottery next year, it could be worth it.