Insider Drops Eye-Catching Development on Jazz's Cody Williams Pick

The Utah Jazz clearly had eyes set on Cody Williams as their guy for some time.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Cody Williams poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Utah Jazz in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz might have struck gold with their selection of Cody Williams this summer.

After what ended up being a notably productive class with Utah's picks in Williams, alongside the later selections of Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski, the draft board fell well in their favor to escape with one of the most appealing sets of new rookies across the entire NBA.

However, in the case of Cody Williams, the Jazz could've had their sights set on him as their guy for a considerable amount of time ahead of draft night, according to team insider Tony Jones of The Athletic.

When diving into a bit of what he's seen from Williams with the Jazz during his first few months with the team, Jones noted that not only is the 10th-overall pick shown to be an extremely skilled and prepared player, but had Utah won the lottery at the beginning of the offseason, the Colorado prospect would've had a strong chance to land as their number one selection:

"Essentially, I think Cody [Williams] is so skilled at every facet of the game that the only things I think he needs are physical strength, NBA experience, and to mentally understand how good he has a chance to be... Had the Jazz won the lottery, Cody would have firmly been in contention to be the number one pick."

- Tony Jones, The Athletic

Coming into the draft, not only did Williams possess several traits that made him an appealing prospect for any team to pick up, but he provided a fit that aligned well with the Jazz as a lengthy two-way wing that could bring an impact on both sides of the floor.

A wide-open draft left the top selection of the night pretty wide open, with Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, and even Reed Sheppard gaining consideration for that top spot, while Williams remained further down the board for Utah to pounce on in the mid-to-late lottery.

In his one year with Colorado, Williams averaged 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on a productive 55.2% shooting clip from the field and 41.5% from three-point range in 24 games. Bringing his efficiency, versatility, and size to a team that lacked wing depth and talent last season will be a welcomed addition to the mix, and Jones's comments may be a signal of even more room for growth in this system.

Pairing Williams next to other young names like Keyonte George, Walker Kessler, and Taylor Hendricks further adds to the appeal of this young core moving forward, and it's one will continue to keep building up over the next few summers on the track to return to contention. If Utah's newest lottery pick can pan out better than expected, this rebuild timeline could inevitably see some acceleration.

Fans will get their first preseason look at Williams and the rest of the Jazz as their first of six preliminary showings will take place at the end of this week as the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL come to Salt Lake City for tip-off at 7 PM MT.

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