Carsen Edwards set to work out for Utah Jazz, could be incredible draft steal

Former Purdue star Carsen Edwards is set to work out for the Utah Jazz this week. And he could be a potentially tantalizing prospect with the 23rd pick.

There is a lot for Utah Jazz fans to look forward to this summer between a potentially monumental free agency period across the league and an enticing trade market. However, one aspect of the summer that many Jazz fans may largely be overlooking is the NBA Draft, set to be held on June 20th.

There are likely a few reasons why there is a little less buzz about the draft among the Utah faithful than what we’re accustomed to. First of all, the Jazz aren’t picking until 23rd overall, which doesn’t typically produce players that move the needle all that greatly. True, last year’s 23rd pick Aaron Holiday of the Indiana Pacers showed some promise and there are always gems littered throughout the draft, but more often than not it’s hard to find a difference-maker at 23.

The Jazz selected 21st last year and ended up taking Grayson Allen, who unfortunately didn’t have all that stellar of a rookie season. Perhaps his underachieving is a part of the reason why Jazz fans are less than hyped about another late first-round pick.

But likely the largest reason for the lack of excitement is that there is a very good chance that the Jazz won’t even be keeping their pick this year. Considering how desperately they need to improve this summer, if they can’t land any big-time free agents, they’ll have to turn to the trade market. And if they do so, especially after losing the contracts of impending free agents, their first-round pick is one of the most valuable assets they possess.

As such, it’s a very real possibility that the Jazz won’t end up adding anybody with their first-round selection at all. Even so, as always the team is going through all the proper motions, bringing in players for pre-draft workouts and scouring the available talent for players that could be their next diamond in the rough.

The Jazz have had success with such formerly overlooked prospects including Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, so they’ll aim to similarly strike gold with a new prospect so long as they keep their pick. They’ve already had a few players in for workouts in the early stages of the pre-draft process, but their work is far from done. And according to a recent report, they’re set to have an exciting young player in for a workout this week.

As first reported by The Athletic’s Tony Jones on Twitter, Purdue standout Carsen Edwards is set to work out for the Jazz at some point this week. Edwards was instrumental in Purdue’s advancement to the Elite 8 this past season as a prolific shooter and a dynamic scorer that willed the Boilermakers deep into the postseason.

You’ll probably remember him best for his mind-blowing shooting performance against Virginia in that Elite 8 battle. Unfortunately for Carsen and the Purdue faithful, his team came up short, but he was unreal throughout the contest. He finished the game with a game-high 42 points on 14-of-25 shooting from the floor and an incredible 10-of-19 from deep. He made jaw-dropping shot after jaw-dropping shot to give the eventual NCAA Champion Cavaliers all that they could handle.

In Edward’s incredible postseason run that culminated with that mind-blowing performance against Virginia, he surpassed an NCAA record formerly held by current NBA superstar Stephen Curry for the most points scored in the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Curry’s record was 128 points while Edwards posted an amazing 139.

And the postseason wasn’t merely an outlier as Edwards was sensational all season long as a Junior at Purdue. He averaged 24.3 points per game on a respectable mark of 35.5 percent from deep.

However, because of Edwards’ size (or lack thereof) and some concerns about his efficiency, he’s actually projected by many experts to fall in the draft to right around Utah’s range at or near 23. With such being the case, his impending workout in Salt Lake City is extremely intriguing. If he’s able to impress, he could very well be within Utah’s reach. From there, assuming they don’t trade away their pick, he could be exactly what the Jazz are looking for in the draft.

With Ricky Rubio likely on his way out as a free agent, Raul Neto‘s future questionable and Dante Exum consistently unable to remain on the floor due to injury, adding a promising young point guard in the draft in Carsen Edwards would be absolutely plausible.

And in my opinion, it would be absolutely tantalizing as well.

Sure, there are risks associated with Edwards. But there are always risks when you’re picking in the latter part of the first round. At the same time, Edwards’ incredible shooting ability, unwavering determination and relentless heart all make him a dream prospect for the Jazz especially since his ceiling could prove much more rewarding and worthy of any perceived risks.

Other teams may catch onto this as well, and it could end up being a long shot for the Jazz to even have a stab at him at 23. But if he does well in his upcoming workout and the Jazz keep their pick, he’s absolutely my choice for who they should aim for at the spot.

Edwards already worked out previously with the Indiana Pacers and, according to the Indy Star’s Gregg Doyel, while Carsen didn’t have his best shooting outing, he impressed in other ways both on and off the court. Everything about the kid – from his grittiness, to his work-horse mentality, to his elite shooting potential, to his character – screams Jazz DNA.

So if he’s there at 23, Utah can’t afford to pass up a guy who could be a perfect fit, a missing building block, and just perhaps, an under-the-radar star in the making. He showed that star-studded ability in this year’s NCAA Tournament. If he can continue to build on that in the NBA, he’d be a revolutionary piece for the Utah Jazz. And they should absolutely consider him as such when getting a close look at him in his upcoming pre-draft workout in SLC.