NBA mock draft compilation: Who might Utah Jazz take at No. 21?

A look at several mock drafts across the web and who the Utah Jazz may view as their ideal selection with the 21st pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Now that the Utah Jazz season is at an end, it may feel like a long time before we get to see the team back in action again. Fortunately, there are several exciting events in the upcoming months that should help Jazz fans get by. One of the first of those is the 2018 NBA Draft, slated for June 21.

Last year’s draft is certainly one that won’t be soon forgotten by the Utah faithful as it featured the Jazz trading up to get the 13th pick from the Denver Nuggets and select rising star Donovan Mitchell. It was exciting at the time and is even more thrilling in hindsight now that we know just how special Mitchell is set to be.

This time around, the Jazz’s lone first-round pick is at No. 21 and while some might view it as difficult to find a difference maker that late in the first round, it should be remembered that Dennis Lindsey has had a knack for finding talent regardless of where he’s selected. Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and to some extent Rodney Hood (at least during his time in Utah) are evidence of that.

With that being the case, it will be exhilarating to see which new player the Jazz end up with on June 21. While the draft is still a month away, there’s plenty of speculation and excitement around the league for what figures to be a relatively deep class that could produce some impact players throughout the first round.

As such, I’ve gone ahead and looked over a number of mock drafts from across the web to see who different outlets believe the Jazz may take with the 21st overall pick (assuming they don’t trade up like last year). There was a surprising variance in the players tied to the Jazz, but each of them has exciting characteristics that should be appealing to the team and fans alike.

With that being said, let’s take a look at a few options the Jazz may have with their 21st overall pick:

Dzanan Musa – SF, KK Cedevita

Height: 6’9″ | Weight: 185 | Age: 18

Stats (all competitions): 12.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 47.6% FG

It’s a little bit outdated at this point, but in a previous Sports Illustrated mock draft from April 21, SI’s Jeremy Woo had the Jazz taking international product Dzanan Musa with the 21st overall pick. Here’s what he had to say about the Bosnian product:

"Utah can go a number of directions here to complement Donovan Mitchell, and adding another perimeter threat for the long term is a sensible move at this slot. Musa is a natural scorer who’s still expanding out his skill set and brings a lot to the table. He’s advanced for a younger international prospect, and would eventually be a good addition to Utah’s core group. He may never give you much defensively, but could become a strong complementary threat."

My two cents: Musa has a lot of promise and has enough size to be a potentially solid stretch-four option for Utah, but at just 18 years of age, he’s likely going to be a bit of a project and certainly comes with some risk. The Jazz would need to be pretty convinced of his potential for me to feel comfortable with them drafting him, but he has the chance to develop into a versatile scorer.

Troy Brown, SF, Oregon

Height: 6’7″ | Weight: 210 | Age: 18

Stats: 11.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.6 SPG

Sports Illustrated’s most recent mock draft has the Jazz going a different route with the No. 21 pick, instead snatching Oregon freshman Troy Brown. Again, per Jeremy Woo:

"The Jazz now draft with the benefit of knowing that their future lies with Donovan Mitchell, and can go a number of directions here to complement him. Brown requires some work as a scorer, but he’s the type of big, ball-moving perimeter player that should fit neatly with the way Utah likes to play. If he can improve and become a passable jump shooter, Brown’s ball-handling, passing feel and versatility on either end of the floor could make him a quality rotation player. He wasn’t especially consistent at Oregon, but scouts have been intrigued by him dating back to his high school days, and he remains a good bet to land somewhere in the middle of the first round."

My two cents: As yet another 18-year-old, Troy Brown is somewhat of a risk who would merit a first round pick by merit of potential above anything else. He has the size and tools to be versatile on defense, but needs to work on shooting and consistency on offense. If he can put it all together and follow the trend of Utah’s phenomenal development, he could be a valuable addition at some point down the road. The tools he’s shown make him somewhat of a safe pick, but his ceiling may not be as high as others.

Anfernee Simons, SG, IMG Academy

Height: 6’4″ | Weight: 183 | Age: 18

Stats (2017 UnderArmour Association): 15.3 PPG, 41.4% 3FG

In a recent ESPN mock draft from Jonathan Givony, he had the Jazz going with IMG Academy’s Anfernee Simons. Per Givony:

"The Jazz might look for a versatile guard who can operate in different lineups without dominating the ball alongside Donovan Mitchell. Simons is one of the least NBA-ready players in the draft, but he’s intriguing because of his combination of youth, explosiveness and shot-making prowess. He’s a few years away from panning out, but at this stage of the draft, there isn’t much risk, and adding a prospect with his upside would be intriguing."

My two cents: Another young prospect with sky-high potential, if the Jazz feel comfortable with Simons’ ceiling he could be an intriguing get. He’s far from NBA-ready, but it’s easy to see why he’s considered a first-round prospect. The fact that he plays the same position as Donovan Mitchell makes him not quite as appealing, but if Utah feels he’s the best player available at No. 21, they should absolutely take the risk on him anyway.

Donte DiVincenzo, G, Villanova

Height: 6’4″ | Weight: 200 | Age: 21

Stats: 13.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.5 APG

One of the more intriguing prospects in the NBA Draft is Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo. In a recent mock draft from CBS Sports, Reid Forgrave has him going to the Utah Jazz. Here’s what Forgrave had to say:

"What do the Jazz need most? A secondary scorer outside of Donovan Mitchell. DiVincenzo is one of the best raw athletes in this draft, plays with incredible intensity on offense and defense, and can flat-out score. DiVincenzo shot 40 percent from 3-point range for a Villanova team that was one of the most efficient offenses of all time. After DiVincenzo went ham in the national title game, scoring 31 points, former Villanova point guard Ryan Arcidiacono told a couple of reporters that DiVincenzo could end up becoming the best NBA player to ever come from Villanova. Perhaps this is too early for DiVincenzo, but there’s no obvious weakness in his arsenal."

I’m pretty high on DiVincenzo myself and I loved the summary from the aforementioned Sports Illustrated mock draft as well, so I thought I’d include it here, too:

"DiVincenzo broke out in a major way at the combine and fortified the strong impression he left in March and over the course of Villanova’s season. It’s clear he’s not a flash in the pan, as his consistent level of focus, instincts for forcing turnovers and grabbing rebounds and ability to hit open jumpers build in a degree of safety. He was one of the top athletes at the combine, but more importantly, his athletic ability actually pops within the context of his game. DiVincenzo has to improve as a man-to-man defender and doesn’t consistently create great shots for himself, but he knows how to play with and off of others and clearly has the makings of a quality role player. He’s likely punched his first-round ticket, and seems likely to remain in the draft."

My two cents: This is one of, if not my favorite draft prospect for the Utah Jazz. He’s more NBA ready than many incoming players and with an NCAA Championship under his belt, Donte DiVincenzo simply knows how to win. He has a lot of the skills and smarts that would set him apart as an ideal Jazzman, including the potential for a deadly three-ball, and I think Utah will be highly interested in him. He was part of their first set of pre-draft workouts.

After raising his stock so significantly by playing well in the NBA Draft Combine, I worry he may not be available when the Jazz pick at No. 21.

Zhaire Smith, SG, Texas Tech

Height: 6’4″ | Weight: 195 | Age: 18

Stats: 11.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 55.6% FG

In that same CBS Sports piece that had Donte DiVincenzo going to the Jazz, Gary Parrish pinned Zhaire Smith from Texas Tech as Utah’s 21st overall pick. Here’s his scoop:

"Smith is the rare one-and-done player who was a sub-100 prospect coming out of high school. It’s a remarkable story — one that features the 6-5 wing putting himself in this position by displaying top-shelf athleticism while averaging 11.3 points and 5.0 rebounds for a Texas Tech team that advanced to the Elite Eight."

My two cents: What stands out the most to me about Zhaire Smith is his athleticism. He definitely has the tools to be an impressive NBA player, but once again, it’s going to take some time. His rise from a relative unknown to an NBA prospect is pretty impressive and I feel his “let me prove you wrong” mentality could help him fit in with a Jazz squad known for its “chip on the shoulder bunch” with guys like Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles.

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.

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.

Jontay Porter, F/C, Missouri

Height: 6’11” | Weight: 235 | Age: 18

Stats: 9.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.7 BPG

NBADraft.net has the Jazz taking Jontay Porter in their latest mocks, stating the following:

"Porter is all over the place on team’s boards and may ultimately decide to return to school. While he doesn’t jump out as a surefire first rounder, the fact that he has such great length, plays a mature game and can knock down outside shots gives him a lot of intrigue. He still needs to tone his body and become a better post defender and gain more post moves. But he is a class individual and really came on strong at the end of the season, giving him a chance to be a one-and-done player with strong workouts. If he feels ready to leave Missouri, he should make use of his ability to test the process and see if teams are showing enough first round interest in him to leave. Why the Jazz take Jontay Porter: The Jazz have a shot blocker and interior force in Rudy Gobert and another big with similar inside skills in Derrick Favors. Porter skill set would also compliment their bigs as the type that could be expected to eventually be a floor spacer and outside shot maker at either center or power forward. He also has the type of low key personality that should fit well in Salt Lake City and no nonsense approach that fits the organization."

My two cents: His size, position, personality and potential to stretch the floor make him an interesting option for the Utah Jazz. However, he has a long way to go before he’s actually ready to contribute at the NBA level and is even considering going back to school rather than officially declaring. If he does stay in the draft, I would guess that the Jazz are hesitant to select him.

Landry Shamet, PG, Wichita State

Height: 6’5″ | Weight: 190 | Age: 21

Stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.2 APG, 44.2% 3FG

TheStepien.com doesn’t exactly have a mock draft put together, per se, with specific teams picking specific players, but instead ranks each of the NBA Draft prospects. It just so happens that those rankings have Wichita State’s Landry Shamet at number 21.

The insight there is limited, but I enjoyed these Jazz-related comments about Shamet from Basketball Insiders’ Ben Dowsett:

My two cents: I’m probably a little biased because I tend to like guys that come out of Wichita State, who are largely overlooked and play a scrappy brand of basketball such as Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker, but I’d be good with Utah going with Shamet. He’s a lights out three-point shooter and seems like exactly the kind of guy that the Jazz could develop into a difference maker.

Shake Milton, G, SMU

Height: 6’5″ | Weight: 207 | Age: 21

Stats: 18 PPG, 4.4 APG, 4.7 RPG

Shake Milton is all over the place on varying draft boards, but The Ringer has him exactly at 21 going to the Utah Jazz with the following succinct description:

"A multipositional defender best suited as a complementary scorer in a democratic offense."

My two cents: Shake Milton seems well-rounded but not exceptional at any one thing. He’s an interesting prospect, but not one of my top choices for the Utah Jazz.

Some Final Prospects

The guys listed so far are the ones predicted to go to the Jazz in mock drafts from major outlets. However, there are certainly other intriguing options Utah could pursue with the 21st pick. Two that stand out to me are Keita Bates-Diop from Ohio State and Khryi Thomas from Creighton, the both of which my J-Notes colleague Zack Padmore discussed in some detail in the article below:

Utah Jazz: Prospects to watch out for at NBA Draft Combine

The Utah Jazz and the rest of the Association's teams will get a closer look at a litany of prospects during this year's NBA Draft Combine.

Lonnie Walker out of Miami is another intriguing prospect, but I’m not entirely sure that he will be available once the Jazz pick at No. 21. If they feel that he’s their guy, they may very well need to move up in the draft to nab him.

Next: Three-Point Threat Episode 33: Conf. Finals, Utah Jazz goals, and more

There are certainly several other options that the Jazz may consider and ultimately select in the upcoming 2018 Draft, but this selection of players included in a number of mock drafts should at least give Jazz fans an idea of some of the possibilities.

What do you think, Jazz fans? Are any of these guys your dream target for the Jazz? Or is there someone who wasn’t mentioned that you’d really like to see brought into Salt Lake City? Be sure to let me know in the comments below or on Twitter.

All stats and prospect info courtesy of Sports Illustrated unless otherwise indicated.