Zach Edey.
7'4" and 300 lbs.
Naismith Men's College Basketball Player of the Year in 2023, and the favorite to repeat in 2024.
A throwback to the old school, by most accounts. A big, bruising center who can clog the middle, rebound, set picks, and block shots.
Zach Edey's upside is noted. As Purdue's postseason run reaches the Final Four, Edey's star will continue to rise.
A year ago he was projected as a late 2nd rounder or undrafted. However, he has worked on his weaknesses and raised his stock for 2024.
Others point to his lateral footwork, lack of speed, and ability to guard the perimeter as reasons he won't succeed at the NBA level in a pace-and-space league. However, players like Nikola Jokic, Nikola Vucevic, Brook Lopez, Jonas Valanciunas, and Steven Adams aren't exactly greyhounds and have had successful NBA careers.
As the Utah Jazz ponder their options, they will consider all options with the 3 picks they are projected to have (currently 8th, 28th, and 32nd).
Considering how Walker Kessler has found himself in Will Hardy's doghouse at times this season, along with Omer Yurtseven, the Jazz could easily be in the hunt for depth at the center position.
Micah Potter has spent more time in the G-League than with the Jazz and isn't getting significant minutes even during the current late-season swoon, so he's likely not the answer either.
Edey is projected to be a late first-round or early second-rounder by most mock drafts, with a few wild projections putting him in the mid-1st round. The Jazz could select him with the OKC pick (#28 currently) or the Washington pick (#32 currently), and he would have good value as a backup rim protector and rebounder, with the potential to develop into a full-time starter if things bounce right.
With other big men like Kyle Filipowski, Donovan Clingan, Kel'el Ware, and Yves Missi potentially available, the Jazz will have plenty of options to sift through over the next several months. They will likely keep an eye on Edey, as one of the more interesting prospects in recent years looks to cap his college career with an NCAA championship and hear his name called at the NBA draft in June.