SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz entered this offseason desperate for a point guard. That point guard needed to be a proven winner who can shoot, defend and most importantly provide leadership to a young team.

With the Jazz holding the 14th and 21st pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, it didn't seem likely they would be able to find a player with that type of resume.

The best possible fit was Michigan point guard Trey Burke. He led Michigan to the NCAA Championship and was the consensus player of the year in college basketball. He was a 38 percent 3-point shooter who wasn't afraid to take the big shot. He was a strong physical player who played much bigger than his size and showed he could be a good defender.

The problem was, there was no way the Jazz could land such a player with the 14th pick.

Dennis Lindsey, in his first draft as general manager of the Utah Jazz, went to work and used the assets at his disposal to land the best point guard in the draft.

"We feel really fortunate tonight," Lindsey said after his draft deals were completed. "Trey was one of the few guys we targeted that if he did slip that we're going to start making calls and try and aggressively move up."

The Jazz watched as one team after another passed on Burke. Lindsey found a trade partner in Minnesota at No. 9, and he pulled the trigger on a deal that gives the Jazz exactly what they were looking for.

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The Jazz didn't wait until their 14th pick to select their first pick, they made a trade with the Timberwolves to select Trey Burke from Michigan, according to sources.

"We got fortunate. I think with the selections that went before us that allowed Minnesota to make the decision to move off the pick," Lindsey said.

Lindsey said head coach Ty Corbin had a lot to do with convincing him and Kevin O'Connor that Trey Burke was the right fit for the Jazz.

"He's a winner," Corbin said of Burke. "He's shown he can win at all different levels. He's a true, true competitor. He fits our culture. He cares about winning — cares about his community — and we're excited for him to get started here."

For Burke, the disappointment of being drafted by a team full of point guards was quickly replaced by excitement when he learned that a team with no point guards under contract traded two picks to get him. He understands the opportunity he has in Utah, but he knows he still has to earn it.

"They haven't just given me the keys. I'm sure I have to work for that and earn that first," Burke said. "But I'm definitely willing to go right in and make plays for this team. If that's what they need me to do than I'm more than willing to go out there and help this team win."

Winning is something Burke has always done. He was a three-year starter at Northland High School in Columbus, Ohio. He led his team to a 97-5 record and a state title. The winning continued at Michigan where, as a freshman, he led the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title in 26 years, and as a sophomore, led them to within one win of a national title. Now he wants to do the same in Utah.

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"That's somewhere I wanted to end up on a young team," he said. "A team that has young guys and can build; a team I can continue to improve with each and every year. I'm definitely looking forward to it. I know the team is young with a lot of talent and I definitely think I can play with them."

Lindsey also made a move to acquire 7-foot-2 center Rudy Gobert of France and Brazilian point guard Raul Neto. All this before free agency begins July 1, when the Jazz will have approximately $30 million in cap space available to make improvements to the roster.

There is no telling if all this will lead to more wins next season, but it's clear that the Utah Jazz are winning the offseason.

Thursday's draft moves gives fans hope, when weeks ago there was so much reason for pessimism. A young group of players that includes Burke, Burks, Hayward, Favors and Kanter is a team fans can get excited about, even if wins are hard to come by next season.

It will be years before we know just how important this draft was for the Utah Jazz, but it's difficult to imagine it could have gone any better.

"We'll find out how we did in a few years," Lindsey said. "But we tried hard."

Based on the reaction of Jazz fans, they seem to appreciate the effort.

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