7 Prospects Utah Jazz should consider trading up or down for in NBA Draft

Trade-down option: Kobe Bufkin

Assuming that the Utah Jazz are going to address the guard position with one of their first-round picks, Kobe Bufkin has to be considered a name that the team is looking at. Bufkin is somewhat of a late riser in this year’s NBA Draft class but could end up being selected late in the lottery. And if the Jazz wanted to move down from the No. 9 spot, they could theoretically trade down a few spots and still land Bufkin in the 12–16 range.

Bufkin is a 6-foot-5 guard who made quite an improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons at Michigan. Bufkin averaged 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists per game on 48 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent shooting from 3-point range before declaring for the NBA. As a strong two-way prospect, Bufkin’s ceiling is quite high as he prepares to make the jump to the NBA. If the Jazz believe in their developmental system, Bufkin is a player that would make sense for the team late in the lottery.

Bufkin fills an area of need for the Jazz and also gives the team a high-ceiling prospect that they could continue to build with. If the Jazz are able to trade down and still land Bufkin, that’d be a huge win in the first round.