Jaden Ivey Responds to Kings Rumors Before NBA Draft

Former Purdue guard Jaden Ivey is projected to be one of the top-10 picks in this week’s NBA draft. 

The Boilermakers guard started 34 of Purdue’s 36 games as a sophomore, averaging 17.3 points per game and 4.9 rebounds en route to a consensus second-team All-American selection last season.

Most draft analysts anticipate that Duke’s Paulo Banchero, Auburn’s Jabari Smith and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren will be drafted in some order in the first three picks. After that, it’s anybody’s guess as to what could happen, beginning with the Kings, who are currently projected to pick No. 4 overall.

Sacramento has been linked to Ivey, but to-date, he has not worked out for the Kings during the pre-draft process. When asked about the prospects of landing in Sacramento, the Purdue guard sounded open to the possibility.

“If I got drafted there, it wouldn’t be the worst option,” Ivey told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

The Kings are back in the market for a guard after trading 2020 first round pick Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers at last season’s trade deadline. 

Ivey heading to Sacramento in the draft this week could make a lot of sense, and luckily for the Kings, he sounds open to the opportunity of potentially becoming a franchise player.