The NBA Draft is officially less than a month away. With the Utah Jazz sitting at No. 9 overall, the team will have the chance to bring one of the top talents in the draft class to Salt Lake City.
Although the Jazz will be selecting in the lottery, which is a luxury, the team isn’t guaranteed to draft a future star. Fortunately, this organization has also had plenty of luck finding late-round diamonds in the rough. With the draft approaching, perhaps Utah is in line to select a future Jazz legend.
With that being said, here’s a look at the top 5 draft picks in Jazz history.
Top 5 Draft Picks in Utah Jazz History
5. Gordon Hayward
Gordon Hayward was selected by the Utah Jazz with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. Hayward started his career off slower than the majority of the list, but the forward continually improved in each season as part of the Jazz.
Hayward averaged 5.4 points per game as a rookie, but by his seventh and final season with the team, the Butler product had averaged 21.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. A sign of a newfound star.
Unfortunately, Hayward would leave the Jazz in free agency to join the Boston Celtics, where tragedy struck. In his first game with his new team, the versatile wing suffered a gruesome injury to his ankle following an awkward landing on an alley-oop attempt. Hayward would take over a year to rehab his ankle and return to the court.
While he’s shown glimpses of his old self since the injury, Hayward has been far from the player he once was in his final year with the Jazz. Nonetheless, the Jazz did an outstanding job developing Hayward into the player he became with the team.
Nonetheless, Hayward comes in at number five on the list.
4. Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell is one of the most recent top draft selections in Jazz history. Utah selected Mitchell with the 13th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, and the explosive guard didn’t disappoint.
It took seemingly no time for the former Louisville standout to rise into stardom in his rookie season in the league, where he averaged 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists over 79 games. Mitchell immediately helped the Jazz rise to contention under head coach Quin Snyder, and the team was competitive year in and year out, with #45 leading the squad.
Ultimately, the Jazz elected to rebuild after falling short in the postseason multiple times. Mitchell left the Jazz this past offseason in a sign-and-trade that contributed to Utah’s flurry of picks that Danny Ainge helped stack up.
In 345 games for the Jazz, Mitchell averaged 23.9 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game. While many Jazz fans are now looking to the future, it’s hard to believe that the fans of Utah may not wonder what could have been if the team hadn’t given up on the 26-year-old star. Nonetheless, Mitchell will still be known as one of the top picks in Jazz history.
3. Paul Millsap
In the 2006 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz selected Paul Millsap with the 47th pick in the second round. While the selection may not stand out to many as a top pick in Jazz history, for the value of the second round and the production of the pick, Millsap is easily a top three value pick for the Jazz.
While Millsap didn’t play for the Jazz his entire career, he was more than a role player for the team in his time with Utah. In 540 games with the Jazz, the Louisiana Tech product averaged 12.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
In 2013, the Jazz allowed Millsap to walk in free agency to join the Atlanta Hawks, where he would become an All-Star. Meanwhile, following his departure from Utah, the Jazz would win only 25 games the next season.
The 38-year-old is currently a free agent, and despite his solid career, the power forward will likely retire in the near future. Regardless, Millsap is a four-time All-Star and a one-time NBA All-Defensive second team member.
Perhaps the Jazz gave up on the big man too soon, but Millsap still finds his way into the top three of the list.
2. John Stockton
John Stockton was selected with the 16th pick in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. In a loaded draft class with the likes of Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkeley, and more, Stockton lived up to the hype of the draft class and is remembered as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.
The 6-foot-1 guard was one of the best combo guards to play the game. Not only could Stockton break down a defense with his elite passing skills, but his offensive scoring game was severely underrated. The Gonzaga alum averaged double-digit scoring in all but three seasons, which came at the beginning of his career. Outside of the scoring, Stockton’s passing allowed him to claim the top spot in assists in NBA history with 15,806 assists.
In his career, Stockton averaged 13.1 points, 10.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds across 1,504 games with the Jazz. Aside from his impressive stats, Stockton added multiple accolades to an already solid NBA career. The guard was a 10-time All-Star (including an All-Star MVP award), an 11-time All-NBA team member, a five-time All-Defensive Second Team member, a nine-time NBA assists leader, and the list goes on.
1. Karl Malone
In 1985, the Utah Jazz selected Karl Malone with the 13th overall selection. The Louisiana Tech product quickly made his presence felt in his rookie season, averaging 14.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 81 games of play.
The 6-foot-9 forward would only improve from there and become known as one of the best power forwards in the game. Malone earned the nickname “the Mailman” because he “always delivered” for the Jazz.
Through 18 seasons with Utah, Malone averaged 25.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 1,434 games for the Jazz. The big man finished as a 14-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA first team, two-time MVP winner, and ranks third in career points scored, trailing only LeBron James and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Not only does Malone ranks third in all-time scoring in the NBA, but he’s also the points leader in Jazz history.
Another reason that the Jazz’s former first-round selection holds not only the top spot on this list but is so beloved by Utah fans. Many argue that Malone is the best player in Utah Jazz history, and understandably so.
Malone comes in at number one on the list.