Utah Jazz Rumored as 'Strong Suitor' for Lottery-Projected Guard

The Utah Jazz could have a name on their radar ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.

Mar 15, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) drives past Texas A&M Aggies guard Manny Obaseki (35) during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NBA Draft chatter continues to buzz around the Utah Jazz. With just a few days to go until the highly-anticipated night arrives, developments are beginning to surface in projecting how a few picks could go down.

We've seen several names connected to the Jazz through the pre-draft process, but it looks like there could be one name, in particular, to keep an eye on if he sticks on the board when Utah lands on the clock: that being Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham.

According to insider Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Utah is expected to be viewed as a "strong suitor" for Dillingham, and could ultimately be the selection at 10 if he slides past the San Antonio Spurs:

"Should the Spurs pass on Dillingham, Utah at No. 10 and the Miami Heat at No. 15 are viewed by teams as strong suitors, but there also could be trade opportunities that arise in the late lottery for the No. 8 prospect on our big board."

- Jonathan Givony, Draft Express

Dillingham is coming off a strong freshman season with the Wildcats, where he posted a campaign with numbers consisting of 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists on 47.5/44.4/79.6 shooting splits. He projects to be a high-level scorer at the NBA level and would be a valuable young addition to any backcourt.

Standing at a bit smaller size of 6-foot-1, his frame could prove to be a bit of a hurdle to overcome in the pros, and his defensive ability could use some strides forward, but his offensive capabilities are what sets him apart from the crowd. Dillingham is a versatile scorer and playmaker who could add another bucket-getter into the mix for the Jazz.

The selection wouldn't mend much of the Jazz's defensive woes for next season, as they ranked dead-last in the league for defensive rating in 2023, but they would have ample ability to address those concerns later in the draft. Utah holds the 10th-overall selection, as well as picks 29 and 32 later on board.

With the hypothetical addition of Dillingham, Utah would effectively have their backcourt of the future with him and Keyonte George, putting together a unique backcourt combination with a high offensive ceiling. It may be wishful thinking to expect a player of his caliber to be available at 10, but anything's possible during what may be an unpredictable couple of days.

Be sure to take note of the Kentucky guard as the Jazz get closer to the 2024 NBA Draft, which will officially kick off later this week on Wednesday, June 26th.

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