Ochai Agbaji could be the best part of the Mitchell trade
While fans are rightfully most excited about the Jazz acquiring two solid players or three unprotected picks for Donovan Mitchell, the best part of the trade could be incoming rookie Ochai Agbaji.
After a standout senior year at Kansas where he was an NCAA champion, tournament MOP, Big 12 Player of the Year, and an All-American, Agbaji was projected to be a lottery pick and fell to Cleveland with the 14th overall draft pick.
Utah Jazz: Could Ochai Agbaji be the best young player on the team?
During his senior campaign, Agbaji averaged 18.8 points, 1.6 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell and Collin Sexton are both undersized guards, standing at 6’1”. Agbaji towers over them at 6’5”, but he doesn’t let his size make him clumsy with the ball.
He was a deadeye 40% shooter from deep, and after going 37% from the NBA arc in the Summer League on much higher volume, it’s safe to say his transition to the league will be smooth.
He is projected to be a Desmond Bane clone, using his strength and size to guard a variety of positions while raining down threes. He could transition to be a guard and wing, like Kaly Thompson or Danny Green. If he starts playing elite defense, he could become a Kawhi Leonard type of player, who new coach Will Hardy helped develop.
While ball handling is not his strong suit, he can create enough to get his own shots up and could be a solid day one contributor for the Jazz. I don’t expect him to crack the starting roster, but he and Jordan Clarkson could be a big-time backup backcourt.
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The three picks in the deal will most likely be late in the first round, as the Cavs will be all-in for the foreseeable future. That means these three picks will be at least 20th, if not later. Agbaji was a good pickup at 14th overall, so he could be the best player the Jazz get to debut after this trade. And with his ceiling, that’s not a bad thing.