NBA mock draft compilation: Who might Utah Jazz take at No. 21?
Chandler Hutchison, SF, Boise State
Height: 6’7″ | Weight: 200 | Age: 21
Stats: 20.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.3 APG
Chandler Hutchison is an interesting case because it was recently reported that he would not participate in the NBA Combine and had cancelled all workouts because he had found a “safe landing spot” in the first round, with a team promising to draft him in the 20-30 range.
Chandler Hutchison has withdrawn from the NBA Combine and canceled all workouts after receiving assurances he's found a "safe landing spot." It appears that he has secured a promise from a team drafting in the 20-30 range. Hutchison is currently slated #24 on the ESPN mock draft
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 16, 2018
This seems like an odd move for the talented young man out of Boise State, who presumably could have raised his stock even higher by participating and working out with teams. What makes things even stranger, is that according to a report from NBADraft.net’s Aran Smith, it was the Chicago Bulls that extended that promise to Hutchison.
A team with questionable management that doesn’t look primed to get out of the lottery any time soon is a safe landing spot? Interesting way to look at it. Perhaps “safe landing spot” is code for big market with adequate night life.
Take that question mark away, though, and Hutchison could be a solid pickup for whoever ends up drafting him, be it Chicago or otherwise. Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft has him going to the Utah Jazz. That particular mock didn’t come with an explanation, but I like this insight from Sports Illustrated:
"Hutchison is a developed prospect who should be able to contribute immediately, and a lot of scouts are high on his tools, shooting ability, and capacity for playing on and off the ball. The Bulls, who have long favored drafting older college prospects and plugging them in, make sense as a landing spot."
My two cents: There’s a lot to like about Hutchison as a playmaker and mature prospect. However, this cancelling workouts business has me feeling uneasy. The consensus among several mock drafts is that he will indeed be picked up by the Bulls who have purportedly promised to draft him. The Jazz pick comes one slot before the Bulls’ 22nd pick (they also own the seventh), so they could steal him from them, but I have a feeling Utah will stay away.