Jazz Expected to Maneuver on Draft Day

It's a big week for the Utah Jazz.

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-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Draft week for the Utah Jazz has finally arrived. On Wednesday , Utah is scheduled to pick No. 10, 29, and 32. The mocks regarding who Utah will be selecting have been all over the map, and there’s still the possibility of a draft day trade being in the works.

So, will Utah utilize all three picks on Wednesday night? The question arose when ex-Jazz assistant coach Gordie Chiesa joined The Bill Riley Show on ESPN 700.

"I expect them not to take all three picks," Chiesa told Riley. "Whether it’s 29 or 32 because, at 32, you can get the exact same player that you got at 29 without having to pay guaranteed money. So the answer is, I would lean to probably not."

Gordie Chiesa talks Jazz rebuild, NBA Draft, and recaps the NBA Finals https://t.co/KNEoZ33vD6

— ESPN 700 | 92.1 (@ESPN700) June 20, 2024

The Jazz certainly have enough assets if they want to make an attempt to move up from No. 10, and if history repeats itself, it could be an exchange that changes the trajectory of the franchise.

The most famous draft day trade in Jazz history came in 2017 when Trey Lyles and the No. 24 pick were sacrificed to move up to select Donovan Mitchell with the No. 14 pick. It was a move that took a franchise that was starting a rebuild to immediately in the playoff conversation.

So, is there a player worth making the jump for in 2024? If there is, then the Jazz are being tight-lipped about it. A few names that could be inside the top ten that Utah has worked out are Cody Williams, Ron Holland, and Ja’Kobe Walker.

However, coming in for a workout doesn’t guarantee anything. Last year's first-round picks, Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh were not worked out by the Jazz.

If Utah does end up keeping all three picks, then that would be six players drafted over the span of two seasons. That would certainly be a sign that Utah may be taking the foot off the gas heading into the 2024-25 season. According to Chiesa, having six players with one year or less NBA experience isn’t ideal.

"You don’t want six really young guys on your team, totally," Chiesa said. "I mean six. Again, the great debate is are the Jazz still playing for their future, or are they going to try to make a slight adjustment as far as getting more experience in free agency or trades? My extincts are telling me trading is going to be a huge factor."

This is the million-dollar question that has Jazz fans divided. Does Utah tank the 2024-25 season for a draft position, or is this the year they make a push for postseason play? This remains to be seen, but what happens on Wednesday could give us clues on Utah's path.

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