The Utah Jazz are looking at a bright future but the future could’ve been brighter with a better outing in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Utah Jazz is a pretty solid organization when it comes to drafting high-caliber players or trading for them. Karl Malone, John Stockton, Deron Williams, Gordon Hayward, and others helped the Jazz become a viable team at various points in the franchise’s history, and other players like Pete Maravich, Donovan Mitchell, and Rudy Gobert landed in Salt Lake City by way of a trade. The Jazz, very often, don’t miss. But that doesn’t mean they don’t always come out on the right side of history.
Take for instance the 2020 NBA Draft. The Jazz did not do well in the draft. They had the 23rd pick in the draft, but traded down to the 27th, making the swap with the New York Knicks who gave the Jazz the 38th pick in the draft as compensation. The Knicks drafted Leandro Bolmaro, and the Jazz would go on to draft Udoka Azubuike and Saban Lee, before also acquiring Elijah Hughes.
Azubuike would stay on the team for three seasons, playing in just 68 games, before the Jazz opted to not renew his contract. Lee would never suit up for the Jazz, later getting traded to the Detroit Pistons for cash. Hughes would play in just 32 games before being traded to the Pistons as well.
In a cruel twist of irony, the Rudy Gobert trade would end up bringing the Jazz Bolmaro, who had made his way to the Minnesota Timberwolves at the time. He would see just 14 games with the Jazz before they opted to move on from him as well. Four players, all from the 2020 draft class.
And that wouldn’t be so bad, but they did miss out on some guys that would’ve made the Jazz better. If they had stayed at the 23rd spot in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Jazz could’ve had R.J. Hampton, Immanuel Quickley, or Payton Pritchard. Had they had better foresight at no. 27, they could’ve had Jaden McDaniels or Desmond Bane.
And if we’re being honest, the answer for either pick with hindsight is Bane.
Heck, in the second round, they could’ve had Kenyon Martin Jr. And yet, they didn’t.
There is still one hope for the Jazz to get this right, however. The team has Omer Yurtseven on their roster still, and he just so happens to be a free agent from the 2020 NBA Draft Class. If he pans out, maybe, just maybe, the Jazz will be able to say they got the most out of the 2020 NBA Draft.