One Eastern Conference executive compared Purdue University product Jaden Ivey to two legendary NBA players.
The executive told The Athletic’s David Aldridge that Ivey is a similar player to Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook and former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade.
“He’s a (Russell) Westbrook/(Dwyane) Wade type of guy,” the executive said. “I like (Purdue head coach) Matt Painter. But if Ivey had been in a situation where they get up and down the floor and get more open, there’s no telling what he could have done. I know Detroit loves Ivey.”
The Detroit Pistons, who have the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, would be an interesting landing spot for Ivey. He would team up with last year’s No. 1 overall pick in Cade Cunningham to form a dynamic backcourt.
The Eastern Conference executive certainly seems high on Ivey given the lofty comparisons. Westbrook is a former MVP, and Wade won three NBA titles during his storied career.
Ivey played two seasons in college at Purdue, but he really came into his own as a scorer in the 2021-22 season.
The 20-year-old guard averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in the 2021-22 campaign while shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Ivey improved his 3-point percentage by 10.0 percent from his freshman season of college to his sophomore season, showing that he has even more room to grow as a scorer.
With many people very high on Ivey’s potential, it will be interesting to see where the young guard lands in the 2022 NBA Draft.