Pacers Could Land Purdue’s Jaden Ivey In 2022 NBA Draft

Jaden Ivey, Indiana Pacers, 2022 NBA Draft, NBA Trade Rumors
NBA Analysis Network

The Indiana Pacers are not a team that is used to losing and being sellers at the NBA Trade Deadline. However, this season, they accepted the reality of where their team was and started making some moves with an eye toward the future.

Indiana traded away veterans Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis, and Torrey Craig, bringing back draft picks and intriguing young players. The crown jewel player wise is Tyrese Haliburton, who was acquired from the Sacramento Kings in the Sabonis deal.

Halliburton is projected by many to develop into an All-Star soon. When he was handed the keys to Kings’ the offense with De’Aaron Fox injured, he produced some gaudy statistics. Indiana will likely turn their offense over to him as well as their point guard of the future.

The Indiana Pacers are not prioritizing winning games the remainder of the season, as they want to see what some of the young guys can do. A player such as Jalen Smith, who was acquired from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Craig, will be auditioning for his next contract as the Suns declined the third-year option on his rookie deal.

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Indiana is projected to have two first-round picks this year, which will give them a chance to add even more high-upside players to their core. Their own first-round pick is projected to land at No. 4 and in a recent mock draft over at ESPN, they are selecting one of the most explosive players in the draft, Jaden Ivey out of Purdue.

Ivey is having an excellent season with the Purdue Boilermakers, making huge strides as a sophomore. He is averaging 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and one steal per game. He gets after it on both ends of the court and could be a long-term fit alongside Haliburton in the Indiana Pacers’ backcourt.

Ivey has improved across the board, showing an improved jump shot. If he continues refining his jumper, the sky’s the limit offensively for Ivey, who is one of the most athletic players in this year’s draft class.

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After the Big 3 of Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, and Jabari Smith, Jaden Ivey has a strong case to be the next player off the board. If he continues playing at the level that he is, there is a chance the Purdue Boilermakers star could even move into the top three ahead of one of those players.

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