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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz CEO of basketball Danny Ainge was a bit annoyed during last year's NBA draft, his first with the team, due to his inability to make moves.
Utah didn't have a single pick in the draft. This year's draft should be more interesting on Thursday.
The Jazz are going to be a fulcrum in all sorts of trade discussions over the next few seasons, and that has already started. Utah has three picks in Thursday's draft (Nos. 9, 16, and 28), and at this point, it may be considered a surprise if they end up keeping all of them.
Here are the latest reports and rumors about the Jazz leading into Thursday's draft.
Trade possibilities
Yahoo! Sports' Jake Fischer reported the Jazz have been in contact with the Detroit Pistons about trading up to the No. 5 spot. Utah's potential target: Arkansas point guard Anthony Black. Fischer reported that rival teams are of the belief the Jazz are trying to get above Washington's eighth pick in order to select Black.
"Utah has also contacted Indiana about trading into the seventh selection, sources said. But the Jazz may need to trade above Orlando — or find a trade with the Magic at No. 6 — to secure a chance at Black," Fischer wrote.
And Utah may be willing to add a sweetener to the deal, too. Fischer reported that the Jazz have made guard Collin Sexton available in trade talks. Sexton was acquired in the Donovan Mitchell trade and has three years left on a four-year, $72 million contract.
But Utah may have another target in mind in moving up.
ESPN reported that Houston's Jarace Walker may be in play at No. 5 — either with the Pistons taking him or by Utah moving up. They added that Utah has been linked to Walker for "much of the pre-draft process."
The Jazz have worked out both Walker and Black during the pre-draft cycle.
It's been reported by multiple outlets that the Jazz are also willing to combine the Nos. 16 and 28 picks to move up in the latter lottery, with NBA Big Board's Rafael Barlowe pointing to Baylor guard Keyonte George as a potential target.
But what if the Jazz keep their top pick?
Things could get zany on Thursday, or the Jazz could wait and see how things fall. The Jazz have the ninth pick in a draft, which is looking like it has a consensus top nine.
No. 1 Tier:
- Victor Wembanyama
Battle for No. 2:
- Brandon Miller, Alabama
- Scoot Henderson, G League
Rounding out the nine:
(in no particular order)
- Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite
- Cam Whitmore, Villanova
- Jarace Walker, Houston
- Anthony Black, Arkansas
- Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite
- Taylor Hendricks, Central Florida
Essentially, if the Jazz aren't enamored by a certain prospect — or feel like the price is too steep to move up — they could wait and see who is still on the board when they make the pick.
Or they could make a surprise selection.
Barlowe reported the Jazz are interested in Bilal Coulibaly — the athletic wing that has risen up boards playing next to Wembanyama in France— and could take him as high as No. 9.
ESPN reported Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin could climb into the top 10, with Utah being one of his suitors.
