In the first clue that the Knicks have at least explored moving up in the upcoming NBA draft from No. 11, team brass interviewed Purdue sophomore combo guard Jaden Ivey at the draft combine in Chicago.
The uber-athletic, 6-foot-4 Ivey is considered a top-five pick and has been ranked no lower than sixth in the top mock drafts. The Post previously reported the Knicks had the 20-year-old on their radar as they look to fill a vacancy at starting point guard.
Matt Babcock, the draft analyst for Basketball News, told The Post during the season Ivey’s NBA comparison would be Donovan Mitchell.
It’s also noteworthy is that Ivey is a Creative Artists Agency client — guided by Aaron Mintz, a friend of Knicks president Leon Rose, who used to run CAA.
The Knicks were allowed to interview 20 prospects at the combine last week. That Ivey is a CAA client could matter if Rose’s former agency holds back on certain team workouts with the goal of funneling Ivey to the Knicks on June 23. The Kings are at No. 4 and the Pistons are at No. 5 and have De’Aaron Fox and Cade Cunningham, respectively. The Pacers, at No. 6, would likely love to net an Indiana product, though they have Tyrese Haliburton and Malcom Brogdon.
The Knicks drafted CAA client Obi Toppin at No. 8 in 2020 after he mysteriously fell right into Rose’s lap after being projected in the 4-to-6 range.
Those, however, are conspiracy theories. Since Knicks general manager Scott Perry began running the Knicks draft, it has not been uncommon for him to speak with players not in his team’s range.
The Knicks will also interview players projected to go behind them. By doing both, the Knicks have the flexibility to trade down or up, armed with more information.
In the bigger picture, Knicks brass likes to gather as much intel as possible on standout players. Even if they can’t draft them, there’s always the possibility of trading for them down the road.
“Ivey is one of the best athletes in the draft,’’ one Western Conference scout said. “Think of an early Russell Westbrook with a jumper. But he needs a fast tempo to be at his best, but he’ll improve any team’s talent level and explosiveness.’’
Ivey canceled his media availability last Thursday at the combine.
When Purdue suffered a shocking upset, 67-64, in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 16 against the Cinderella darlings from Saint Peter’s, Ivey did not perform up to standards, scoring just nine points, with two assists and six turnovers. Some scouts felt Ivey should have attempted to put Purdue on his back.
In 36 games last season, Ivey averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists and shot a healthy 35.8 percent from 3-point range.
Ivey has an intensive basketball background. His mother, Niele, became the Notre Dame’s head women’s basketball coach in 2020 after serving years as an assistant.
His mother also was a star point guard at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. Hence, her son has been at basketball practices since he was a toddler. (His father was a wide receiver at Notre Dame).
“She was always in the gym,” Jaden said of his mother recently. “And so I was, too.”