With the Utah Jazz officially securing odds for a top-10 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, it’s time to take a look at how the Jazz can capitalize on their three first-rounders.
The Utah Jazz enter this draft tied with the Indiana Pacers with the most picks in the first round, both having three. The last time the Jazz entered the draft with three first-round picks? About 20 years ago in the 2004 draft, when the team ended up with Kris Humphries, Kirk Snyder, and Pavel Podkolzin.
Yeah, needless to say, the upcoming rookie class for this Jazz team needs to be a bit better than in 2004. And with the entering class being as talented as it’s made out to be, it shouldn’t be too hard for these players to meet those expectations.
The Jazz currently hold the projected 9th pick in the 2023 draft, the 16th pick from the Timberwolves, and the 28th pick from the 76ers. With Utah freshly entering a rebuild, this draft will be a big part of how successful the Jazz can be moving forward.
Let’s take a look at how the first round of the draft could play out, and how the Utah Jazz can make the most of it.
Even though the Pistons have multiple young bigs on the roster already, you just can’t pass on a talent like Wembanyama here.
While Brandon Miller does make a case here, Henderson ultimately fills a need for the Spurs while also being the best player on the board.
A starting lineup that would consist of Green, Miller, Smith Jr., and Sengun would be one guard away from becoming a serious team in the West.
Ausar would be a perfect fit next to Lamelo Ball in the backcourt, providing excellent slashing and defending ability with room to grow.
The Blazers should have one of the most interesting positions in the draft come June, but at this point, the best player available makes the most sense.
Black gives the Magic size, playmaking, and versatility at guard, being a great complimentary piece to Wagner and Banchero going forward.
Whitmore is one of the youngest players in the draft who should give the Wizards nice athleticism and perimeter defense with potential.
Walker’s huge build combined with his defensive ability would be a nightmare for opposing offenses when paired with Myles Turner in Indy.
With the 9th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select Gradey Dick, SG, Kansas.
The Jazz find themselves on the board with an array of options at ninth overall, and even with some opportunity to trade up in the draft if they really wanted. However, Gradey Dick ends up as the pick here.
Gradey measures at 6’8, projecting to be a versatile wing at the NBA level with a great shot already a part of his arsenal. While he’s known mostly as a shooter, he was one of the focal points of the Jayhawks’ offense as a freshman.
In his one season at Kansas, Gradey Dick averaged 14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds, shooting over 40% from three as well.
Talen-Horton Tucker and Jordan Clarkson have pending player options they could decline. Rudy Gay and Juan Toscano-Anderson are also entering the open market this summer. As a result, the Jazz could opt to take Gradey to have security at their wing position moving forward.
With the hope of Kyrie Irving resigning this offseason, the Mavericks decide to take a big with great 3-and-D potential in Hendricks.
Despite many talented guards still on the board here, OKC has so much guard talent on the roster that it may be a better option to go with more of a position of need.
With Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony both with possibly one year remaining on their contracts, the Magic decide to add another Arkansas guard to the roster to pair with Black.
Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent enter this offseason both on pending player options, giving the Raptors the perfect opportunity to add a young point to their core.
UConn’s recent tournament success resulted in Hawkins jumping up draft boards; now projected to land lottery to mid-first. The Pelicans take a swing on him here.
With John Collins’s name being thrown around in trade talks for the past year, the Hawks select a versatile and lengthy big in Clowney to replace him.
With the 16th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select Jalen Hood-Schifino, PG, Indiana.
A lengthy 6’5 guard that can make plays and handle the ball would be exactly what would fit the needs of this Jazz team at this position in the draft. If developed well, Hood-Schifino could be an absolute star for Utah.
Unless the Jazz plan on starting Kris Dunn at point guard next season, they probably need to invest in some new talent at the position. With Hood-Schifino sitting here at 15, it’s a no-brainer. As a player, he provides great size and defense with a great mid-range shot.
He still needs to improve his streaky shooting and consistency overall, but if given a couple of years to develop with a young team like the Utah Jazz, this could be a steal of a pick right outside of the lottery.
This season with Indiana, Jalen Hood-Schifino averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. While his numbers may not show it, scouts will tell you that Hood-Schifino has all the potential to become a high-level starter in the league.
The Lakers opt to take the best player available here, while George provides ample explosiveness and shooting to add at the 2.
With Kyle Lowry aging, the Heat add to some talent at point guard with someone who runs the pick and roll extremely well.
Miller is a lanky, athletic forward with a year of the G-League under his belt, but still projects to be a project in the pros.
A great scorer in college, Sensabaugh falls to the Warriors who could use him as a spark plug and shot-maker off the bench.
Howard is a pure scorer and one of the best shooters in the draft, however, tends to fall a bit short on the defensive end.
In back-to-back picks, the Nets snag a high-upside player in Jackson who has the potential to be a solid 3&D forward at the next level.
Unfortunately, the Blazers snag Kris Murray in this mock, a pick right before his brother, Keegam Murray’s team in the Kings.
Lively should be able to add some more size, speed, and rim protection to a Kings team who continues to stay on the rise.
Whitehead is a nice athlete and shooter that joined Duke late in the college season this year, now joining Memphis to add even more wing depth.
With their additional first-rounder, the Pacers here can take sort of a gamble on the lengthy, defensive guard.
The Hornets take a swing at one of the youngest prospects in the draft; Couldbaly is an extremely fast and lengthy athlete with a very high ceiling.
With the 28th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select Sidy Cissoko, SG, G-League Ignite.
With the luxury of three first-rounders, the Jazz can afford to take a swing on an international player with a high upside later in this draft. Cissoko could be a great addition to this young core.
The one trait you’ll hear about Sidy Cissoko is his exceptional playmaking ability. Combining his ball-handling, passing, and decision-making ability, Cissoko could be exactly what the Jazz need in the backcourt.
Cissoko also projects as a good defender at the NBA level. He’s lengthy, fast with his feet, and has a good defensive IQ. Measuring 6’7 with a long wingspan, if Sidy puts some time in the weight room, he could find himself able to guard the 1-4 pretty easily at the next level.
While Cissoko is a bit of a streaky and inconsistent player at the moment, the Jazz have a good track record of developing young talent. Even if the Jazz decide to resign some of their free-agent wings, Cissoko would still be a versatile piece in the team’s rotation.
Lewis is a typical 3&D forward that brings solid size and athleticism to Indiana as a part of their plethora of draft picks.
While a bit undersized, Nnaji can fit a need for the Clippers, who recently have had a trend of loving defensive and rebounding centers.
Mock Draft Summary:
For the Utah Jazz, this draft would be an absolute home run. Adding Gradey Dick, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Sid Cissoko would not only fill areas of need, but all these players also provide a lot of room for growth and development.
All three of these picks give the Jazz solid size and length through the 1-3, and could eventually develop into amazing pairings with the team’s existing bigs. These players provide a great combination of shooting, defense, and playmaking that could set up this Jazz team with a strong young core for success years down the line.