The 2017 NBA Draft was very kind to the Utah Jazz with the selection of Donovan Mitchell. After a strong 2017-2018 season on the floor, the Jazz will be aiming to recreate the magic associated with picking a franchise player at No. 13 overall and, this time, Utah’s Dennis Lindsay will be operating with picks at No. 21 and No. 52 overall.
Obviously, it is wildly unrealistic to expect the Jazz to find another diamond in the rough on the level of Mitchell. Still, Utah’s front office has done phenomenal work in the recent past and, even with a few high-profile decisions to make this summer, all indications point to another playoff-worthy squad heading into next season, especially on the defensive end.
The Jazz could go in a number of different directions with their selections. Upside could be tantalizing considering the overall stability of the rest of the roster and, from an offensive standpoint, more firepower is needed to pair with Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Rudy Gobert and others. Still, taking the best player available is usually a good idea and, with that in mind, here are a few players that would make sense, either at No. 21 or No. 52.
- Rawle Alkins – SG, Arizona – Scouts are all over the place on Alkins. He was projected as a late first round pick somewhat recently but, after a disappointing 2017-2018 campaign, he may be around at No. 52 overall. If the Jazz don’t add a backcourt option at No. 21, Alkins could profile as a quality bench piece through the prism of a 3-and-D skill set and defensive potential.
- Keita Bates-Diop – PF/SF, Ohio State – This pick would make a little less sense if Derrick Favors returns. In the same breath, a lot of the value in Bates-Diop comes from his versatility and, with that and his defensive acumen, he just feels like a player that should be on the Utah Jazz.
- Chandler Hutchison – SF, Boise State – Utah could use some scoring punch and Hutchison can bring that in an NBA-ready package. It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if he was off the board before the Jazz are able to pick him but adding a polished offensive wing would be intriguing next to Donovan Mitchell and quality defenders.
- Dzanan Musa – SF, Cedevita – Musa is a player scouts are scattered on but the Jazz could use another knockdown shooter. In addition, Utah has the luxury of being able to allow him time to develop and, from a player development standpoint, learning under this coaching staff and modeling after Joe Ingles would be a good idea.
- Anfernee Simons – SG, High School – Simons is a long-term project but, as noted above, the Jazz have a strong player development track record. It wouldn’t be the best idea to tab Simons if Utah plans to bring Dante Exum back but, if they don’t, it makes sense. In addition, Simons is arguably the biggest draft-day swing you can make and the Jazz can afford to take the risk with their current roster.
- Gary Trent Jr. – SG, Duke – Trent shouldn’t be in play at No. 21, even if you could probably find some folks that would place him in that tier. In the same breath, it may not be overly likely that the former Duke standout drops to No. 52 but it’s weirdly possible. His shooting is tantalizing but Trent Jr. has a lot of weaknesses (defense, etc.) and the Jazz are a franchise that could sort through them.
