Utah Jazz offseason 2018: Checklist for the Jazz to become contenders

Find a rotational player in the draft

For a playoff team, finding hidden gems later in the draft is a necessity. Most contenders have the highest payrolls in the league, so being able to draft a player on a guaranteed, team-friendly contract is an enormous benefit. You also ensure that you have the players’ Bird rights when it comes time to potentially re-sign them in the future.

As previously stated, the Jazz could really use some help off the bench and in the shooting department. This draft is the perfect opportunity to grab a 3-and-D wing at the No. 21 spot in the draft.

I recently wrote a piece for The J-Notes where we focused on five wings that the Jazz can target in the draft. What’s crazy, is there are even more wing prospects that project to be available when Utah is called upon to make their selection. My J-Notes colleague Jared Woodcox recently wrote an article where he listed all of the players who have been projected to go to the Jazz in varying mock drafts. He listed thirteen different players, and all but two of them were wing players.

The Utah Jazz could absolutely use a stretch four, but the pickings for that are slim in this year’s draft, especially where the Jazz are picking. Instead, there is a wealth of wings for them to select from.

It will be key for the Jazz to select a player who can have an impact from the get go. It will save them money in free agency today and in the future if they can achieve this.

My two cents: keep an eye on Keita Bates-Diop, Donte DiVincenzo and Shake Milton. KBD has the potential to be a solid starter in this league for years to come. He was the Big Ten Player of the Year after averaging 20 points and eight rebounds a game, while also shooting 36 percent from three. At nearly 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, he can score in a variety of ways, including posting up smaller players.

DiVincenzo and Milton would also be strong selections at this position. If you are looking for the safest pick at this point in the draft, DiVincenzo has a much higher floor. He projects to be a high level 3-point shooter, who also has the athleticism to create his own shot off the bounce. He could immediately step in and make an impact for the Jazz.

Milton has been pegged to go to the Jazz in multiple mock drafts, and his shooting and defense should translate to the NBA right away. Milton shot 43 percent from three last season on over a hundred attempts.

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At the end of the day, the Jazz have shown a history of making the right picks this late in the draft. Most recently, Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood were both selected in the twenties. Utah will be doing themselves an enormous benefit if the can find a rotational wing player with the 21st pick in the draft.