With the 2024 NBA Draft less than 72 hours away, the Utah Jazz are considering their options. Keep the #10 pick along with #29 and #32 and go heavy on the young guys in 2024-25, trade one or more picks to move up in this draft, or get additional picks down the line. Or they can trade them all in a wild deal for veteran help NOW.
It's all on the table for Danny Ainge, the riverboat gambler who loves to make deals with draft picks.
Let's discuss what players are available to the Utah Jazz that would make sense at the #10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Matas Buzelis, SF, G-League Ignite - 6'9" 209 lbs.
Buzelis is a puzzling prospect, admittedly. He came with much fanfare out of high school and ultimately committed to the G-League Ignite over several offers from D-1 schools in the USA. His first year there was uneven - 14.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 44.5% shooting from the field (27.3% from 3). The Ignite had a rough season, which took some of the buzz off him as a Top-3 prospect.
He needs to get stronger and work on his shot selection. But he's the second-best SF prospect this year and is being considered as high as #5 for Detroit by some mock drafts due to his multifaceted skills - passing, rebounding, defense, and three-level scoring. He can handle the ball in the open court and finish in traffic, things that should only get better with more talent around him.
Having him able to ease into a rotation role would likely help his development in Utah, where he would not be expected to be a star immediately, or even start in Year One. The right situation would be hugely beneficial to him and to the Jazz.
The Jazz could do a lot worse than a forward who can develop into a solid starter with highlight potential, and thus Buzelis would be a great selection at #10 overall.