A minor surprise came with the fourth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft when the Sacramento Kings opted to draft Iowa’s Keegan Murray over Purdue’s Jaden Ivey. While Ivey was viewed as the better prospect, Murray theoretically fits better on a team that already has De’Aaron Fox as its established point guard and used a lottery pick on Davion Mitchell last year.
As such, Ivey fell to the Detroit Pistons at No. 5, but there were questions about whether or not he’d stick around. There were rumors before the pick that teams were calling the Pistons, and in the aftermath, a number of reports indicated that the New York Knicks, in particular, were interested in making a move if they were able to acquire Memphis center Jalen Duren with the No. 11 pick.
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
Those hopes could hinge on whether Jalen Duren is still on the board at No. 11. https://t.co/t10dxZ6Rer
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 24, 2022
Hearing that yes, Knicks are still talking with Detroit about the Ivey selection – a deal could be made if Duren is available at 11 and they do a package with that pick.
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) June 24, 2022
But according to James Edwards of The Athletic, these efforts are going to be for naught, as Detroit decided that it wanted to hold onto Ivey after all.
Sources: The Pistons are keeping Jaden Ivey despite several attempts from rival teams to acquire him.
— James Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) June 24, 2022
Ivey is a dynamic option in the backcourt and is, in theory, a sensational fit next to last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham. While it is totally sensible that teams would want to bring him on board — particularly New York, which can use a point guard and an injection of star power — Detroit instead has its backcourt of the future solidified.