It sounds like the interest is mutual between Jaden Ivey and the Pistons.
A couple days after Ivey identified Detroit as a place he'd like to land in next week's NBA Draft, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday that the Pistons are among several teams trying to acquire the fourth overall pick from the Kings with the intention of drafting the dynamic point guard from Purdue.
"That No. 4 pick that the Sacramento Kings have is very much in play," Wojnarowski said on ESPN's NBA Countdown prior to Game 6 of The Finals. "There are a lot of teams trying to get deals done with Sacramento so they can move up to select Jaden Ivey. That’s teams close to them in the lottery: Detroit and Indiana at 5 and 6, the New York Knicks at 11, the Washington Wizards at 10 and even some teams outside of the lottery."
It might behoove the Kings to make a deal. Sacramento isn't Ivey's 'preferred destination,' per ESPN's Jonathan Givony. And the Pistons might have the best chance of making a deal happen. The Kings could still draft a potential impact rookie at No. 5 as they seek to snap a 16-year playoff drought.
But the No. 4 pick won't come cheap.
"Listen, Sacramento’s asking price is going to be significant to move in there," Wojnarowski said. "I think they see this as essentially a four-player draft (with) a drop-off after No. 4. You can expect GM Monte McNair to be on the phones this next week as we get closer to Thursday’s draft, and if they’re going to move that pick I think they expect they're going to get a lot in return."
This is where Jerami Grant might come into play for Detroit. Do Troy Weaver and the Pistons like Ivey enough to use their best trade asset to go get him? And would the Kings like Grant enough to accept the offer?
Ivey, a consensus All-American last season, would give the Pistons an extremely athletic guard to pair with Cade Cunningham. The duo would form a potentially dominant backcourt.
Asked if there are any specific teams that feel like a good fit for him, Ivey told The Spun this week, "I would love to go anywhere, but Detroit, my mom played for the Detroit Shock in the WNBA. I've lived in the area and I know what it's like. Detroit could be an option."
Ivey also mentioned the Pacers because his mom, Niele Ivey, now the head women's basketball coach at Notre Dame, played for the Indiana Fever as well.
"I'm kind of familiar with the (Pacers) organization," he said. "If they pick me on draft night it would be an honor. Just being from Indiana and living there my whole life, that would be amazing."
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