Dalton Knecht may be older but he's still a prospect worth considering
Bleacher Report has the Utah Jazz taking Dalton Knect, which isn't the worst move ever.
By Chad Porto
What are the Utah Jazz going to do with the 2024 NBA Draft? Are they going to look for project picks to develop with high "upside" but aren't able to actually play right now, or are they going to look for more polished players, with high floors but an unknown ceiling? Well, that'll mostly be determined by what the Jazz's goals are for this season.
If the idea is to develop a playoff team, why would it matter if the rookie you have is 18 or 23? The goal is to win, so you want the best player out there. If the goal is to develop a team that could win in five years, you're not taking an older player. The Jazz may be ready to compete and god we hope they are.
So if the goal is to build around Lauri Markkanen and company, then going to get the best and most developed player already is the right call. So we're not surprised that Bleacher Report has the Jazz taking Dalton Knecht out of Tennessee with their first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
In this mock draft, Knecht goes eight to the Utah Jazz, which isn't the worst idea considering who's off the board already. I'm not worried about Knecht being 23 to start the season, just look at the Miami Heat's Jaime Jaquez, he's going off for the Heat and is one of their building blocks to the future.
Thinking that just because Knecht is older he's not worthwhile is silly. He's a three-level scorer and can drop 30 or 40 points a game when he's on. He's the kind of perimeter player the Jazz need. Later in the draft, Bleacher Report has the Jazz taking Harrison Ingram out of North Carolina, who's someone that I'd love to see with the Jazz, especially at pick 27. Ingram is a potential three-and-D player, who can hit deep shots and play forceful defense against opposing offensive players.
Lastly, the mock has the Jazz taking Carlton Carrington at pick 32, the second pick in the second round. He's a point guard out of Pitt who may not be a huge asset right away but may provide some depth once he gets some seasoning in the G-League.
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