The Utah Jazz finished the 2024-25 NBA season with a league-worst 17- 65 record, earning their trip to another NBA draft lottery.
This season, the Jazz are tied for the best chances to get the first overall pick with the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets. The Jazz have been in a rebuild since 2022 and are looking to finally get their first overall pick and centerpiece of their rebuild, but whether they win or not, who should the Utah Jazz look for? The goal is to breakdown positional need and see who the team could select.
- Wings
The Jazz as a whole had a major weakness at the perimeter with both defense and creation. The team was bottom 10 in points per game, but last in the league in points allowed, both of which start with perimeter play. While center Walker Kessler has emerged as an excellent rim protector and forward Lauri Markkanen has been a consistent scorer when healthy, the team desperately needs a two way threat on the perimeter, as they were small at the four or ran Kyle Filipowski, who isn’t a pure wing.
The obvious choice would be Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who solves both of these issues, but if out of the first, it can get tricky. Rutgers’s Ace Bailey has the height and reach for a wing at 6’10”, but questions about shot creation could lead to him being a reach within the top 5. While viewed as a mid lottery prospect, Duke’s Kon Knueppel could provide preimeter scoring and defense without taking the ball out of Markkanen’s hands. Whichever route the team makes, wings are clearly their top need.
2. Shooting Guard
More specifically here, a true shooting guard. Collin Sexton is without a doubt a talented player and can get his own shot, but as with his time in Cleveland, having two 6’3″ or shorter guards in your backcourt is a defensive liability. Utah needs size and athleticism at the two to match up against larger guards like Luka Doncic or Devin Booker, both of whom are 6’7″ and 6’6″ respectively.
Thankfully, the top five prospects this season are littered with shooting guards. Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe and Texas’ Tre Johnson both have the skillset to pair with playmaker Isaiah Collier and play with or without the ball. The best choice for the team would be Rutgers’s Dylan Harper, who provides great size for the two guard spot, and could operate as a secondary ball handler, as the team needs to cut back on turnovers, or pure scorer. If Utah want’s more scoring in their backcourt, don’t be surprised if they take a shooting guard.
3. Defense
Without hyperbole, the Utah Jazz was the worst defensive team in the NBA. Dead last in opponent points per game, dead last in steals, 24th in blocks, 26th in opponent field goal percentage with 48%, and the team was outscored by 9.3 points per game. The team, even with offensive struggles, couldn’t stop anyone for 48 minutes of play.
Any form of on or off ball defense is paramount for this team to succeed, and any bigger guard or wing who can play the perimeter will be an instant improvement. Flagg is a great pick, but if they fall out of the first pick, whether through a reach or a trade up, Knueppel or even South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles would provide size and instincts to help improve the team’s deficiencies. While best player available will help Utah, defense needs to be a priority.
Who should the Utah Jazz look for in the 2025 NBA draft? Any guard or wing who can play both sides of the ball.
NBA Draft: Utah Jazz Team Needs