ESPN Reveals Utah Jazz's Most Valuable Future Draft Pick

The Utah Jazz have a boatload of future assets to play with, but what's the best of the bunch?

Feb 6, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; From left to right, Utah Jazz general manager Justin Zanik, CEO Danny Ainge, owner Ryan Smith and head coach Will Hardy sit court side before the game between the Utah Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Among the teams around the NBA positioned in an ideal spot for the near future, the Utah Jazz sit toward the top of the list in terms of premier assets to build with moving forward.

As a result of their blockbuster deals to ship off franchise cornerstones Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz have stacked up numerous first-round picks that can help provide a major assist to their rebuild process-- mainly from the possession of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, the Jazz also have managed to secure another first-rounder from the Los Angeles Lakers through the motions of their Mike Conley trade a couple of trade deadlines ago, and as a result, that selection has seemed to gain some increased value since pulling the trigger in 2023.

In ESPN's recent ranking breaking down the best draft pick stashes around the entire NBA, Bobby Marks dubbed the Lakers' protected 2027 first-round selection as the best in Utah's collection of future assets despite the added restrictions in place that leave it as top-five protected:

"Utah does have the same number of first-round picks as the Thunder, including five unprotected, but it lacks a franchise player to fast forward its rebuild... Utah has an unprotected first-round pick from each team in 2025. Its most valuable first could be from the Lakers in 2027. Although it is a protected top-5, there is no guarantee LeBron James will be on the roster in 2026-27 since the four-time NBA champion, who turns 40 on Dec. 30, has indicated his playing career is drawing near."

- Bobby Marks, ESPN

In total, the Jazz shipped out a package consisting of Conley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Malik Beasley, in return for Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano, and Damian Jones, but the real headline of the deal centered around Utah's acquisition of the Lakers' future first.

The Lakers are positioned well within the group of competitive teams as long as LeBron James and Anthony Davis are in the fold, but when that changes, the Jazz are set to potentially capitalize big once that 2027 first-rounder comes into play. The protection limits the overall ceiling for what this selection could turn into, but when stacked up against Cleveland and Minnesota's picks, this one may be the cream of the crop.

However, one significant factor to watch in the Jazz's pursuit of the Lakers' pick is what could transpire if the selection eventually falls within the top four of the draft. Los Angeles's protection would make it to where Utah would instead be stuck with a second-rounder as a consolation, which is far from as appealing as the other alternative.

Needless to say, keep an eye on how the Lakers fare across the coming seasons, as they could eventually have a major impact on what's soon to come with this Jazz rebuild.

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