Utah Jazz fans, we'd like to apologize. When we've talked about the draft here at The J-Notes, it's been mostly about Utah trying to avoid giving their pick to Oklahoma City. We haven't talked enough about who the Jazz could draft if they keep the pick.
With the measures the Jazz have taken to prevent the worst-case scenario, they've put themselves in a great position to keep the pick and potentially win the lottery. If the best-case scenario happens, the one prospect they can't afford to pass on is Darryn Peterson.
There's been some controversy about Peterson this season, but the talent is undeniable, and that goes beyond what he has shown the Jayhawks when he's on the floor. The Smoking Cuban's Noah Weber talked to a scout who raved about Peterson after what they saw from him during a Kansas Jayhawks practice session.
"One NBA scout told The Smoking Cuban that they attended a Kansas practice in Lawrence this season, and it seemed like Peterson went through the entire practice without missing a shot. This practice included a live five-on-five period, and shooting perfectly from the field through a whole practice is rare unless you're playing NBA 2K.
"Veteran scouts with years of NBA experience said they'd never seen anything like it."
Simply put, it's stories that show the kind of franchise player Peterson can turn into, and the kind young ceiling-raiser the Jazz would want with what they plan to do next season.
The Jazz need another guard more than anything
Utah will be happy just to keep their pick, but with their roster construction going into next season - this would include re-signing Walker Kessler and Jusuf Nurkic - the only area where they need some help is in their backcourt.
They already have Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier, which could be a problem since George's breakout has also made Collier's improvement fly under the radar, but not much else besides them. From a depth perspective, Peterson would make the most sense if they get the No. 1 pick from a pure position perspective.
The real question would be how they mix and match. The Jazz's starting lineup next season will be as follows:
Point guard: George
Shooting Guard: Ace Bailey
Small Forward: Lauri Markkanen
Power Forward: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Center: Kessler
It's a hypothetically fun, jumbo-sized lineup that would be almost impossible if all works out, but where would Peterson fit into all of this? He's good enough to be an NBA starter from the jump. He fills in a position of need for the Jazz, but will he really accept a bench role?
Questions for later of course, and in all honesty, if the Jazz win the lottery, then it's another huge in what could turn out to be their best offseason maybe ever.