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SALT LAKE CITY — There's not as much anticipation surrounding this year's NBA draft lottery.
Last year, the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes — not to mention two pretty good consolation prizes in Brandon Miller and Scoot Hendersen — had executives planning an entire season around just the hope of landing a generational prospect.
And by winning last year's lottery, the San Antonio Spurs seem to be set up for years to come with Wembanyama leading the way.
No player in this year's draft elicits that type of immediate hope.
"It's harder to find franchise-altering players in this draft than in some drafts," Jazz executive Danny Ainge said.
That's the backdrop of Sunday's lottery (1 p.m. MDT, ABC). Sure, teams still want to move up, but no obvious franchise savior is waiting in the wings.
Some like French center Alex Sarr to go No. 1. Others see fellow countrymen wing Zaccharie Risacher as the most worthy of the top spot. Serbian point guard Nikola Topic has seen his draft range fluctuate near the top. Meanwhile, UConn big man Donovan Clingan and Kentucky's guard duo of Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham have seen their stocks rise.
"Last year, you had like the top three were pretty well defined — even at this time (before the lottery)," Ainge said. "Maybe not the exact order. But some order of the top three. This year, I'm not sure what those are. But I do believe we'll be able to find some good players in this draft."
For teams like the Jazz — who come into the lottery at No. 8 — there are potential benefits to a lack of consensus. For one, if they really like a player, it might not be the hardest thing to trade up to grab him. And it seems it will be more likely a player could slip to them at the back end of the top 10.
But what happens if Utah — who has a 6.0% chance of landing the top pick and a 19% chance of moving into the top four — wins the lottery?
With the team lacking wings, Risacher may present the cleanest fit of the players projected to go at the top.
The 6-foot-10 wing shot 39% from 3-point range this season in France's top league and showed some defensive versatility by guarding positions 1-4. His floor seems to be a solid 3-and-D wing that doesn't need the ball in his hands to be productive. There are concerns about his shot creation, and his ability to attack defenders from the perimeter, but he's a prototypical wing in a league desperate for those.
Sarr projects to be a top-flight defensive big. He's got a 7-foot-1 frame with impressive mobility for his size. He can offer rim protection and has shown that he can survive on the perimeter switching onto smaller players. Offensively, he has shown flashes of being able to attack off the dribble and a deep jump shot. He likely won't ever be a go-to scorer, but he projects to be a helpful two-way player.
Topic is a 6-foot-7 point guard who has seen his stock fall some due to a knee injury. He's a big guard who knows how to pass and has a good feel for the game. Ainge said last month he doesn't yet know if Keyonte George is a "franchise point guard," so it wouldn't be a surprise for the Jazz to take another swing at one.
The 7-foot-1 Clingan was a major reason UConn won another national championship last month. He anchored one of the best defenses in the country and was a major playmaking hub for the Huskies. He facilitated from the high post and served as a key screener and cutter.
Sheppard shot 52% from 3-point range on high volume during his freshman season at Kentucky. He also flashed some passing creativity and solid defensive instincts. At 6-foot-2, though, his size may be an issue at the next level.
And maybe a lottery win will just give the Jazz more ammunition to make trades this summer. Ainge hasn't been shy about his desire to quickly improve the team with a big move, and he also has concerns over how young the Jazz could be if they end up making all three draft selections next month.
"Our plan is not to come to training camp with six kids under 20 years old," Ainge said. "That's not a real good option for anybody. I can't say that that won't happen. But that's not Option A or Option B, maybe not Option C."
The Jazz will know more about their options on Sunday.
