NBA draft blog: Jazz add Sensabaugh for final pick; other updates from the 2023 draft

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With three picks in the first round, the Utah Jazz will have a busy night Thursday.

The Jazz enter the draft with the No. 9, No. 16 and No. 28 selections. Will they keep all the picks? Trade up? Trade down? Follow along as the Jazz help shape their future in the 2023 NBA draft.

Draft guide: The Jazz are in for a busy night.

Rumors: Will the Jazz make a draft-day trade?

Thursday, 10:09 pm

Jazz nab 2 players in their top 10 in draft

Jazz general manager Justin Zanik spoke with reporters at the close of the first round, signaling an end to the draft night for the Jazz, who don't have any second-round picks.Utah ended up keeping all three of its first-round picks, and the organization was quite pleased with how the draft ended up. Zanik said that both Taylor Hendricks and Keyonte George were in their top 10, and there was some debate over who to pick at No. 9. Turns out, they got both of them.That'll wrap up the draft blog, but we'll have plenty more to come about Utah's draft night and the newest three Jazz players.

Thursday, 10:08 pm

Clippers finish off the first round by taking Kobe Brown

Thursday, 10:06 pm

Nuggets take Julian Strawther with 29th pick

The Denver Nuggets acquired the 29th and 32nd overall picks from Indiana on Wednesday in exchange for a 2024 first-round pick and the 40th overall pick. With the acquired first-round pick, the defending champions picked Gonzaga's Julian Strawther.

Thursday, 09:04 pm

Jazz take Brice Sensabaugh at No. 28

Danny Ainge traditionally has liked players who can score at a high level. He grabbed another one with Utah's third pick of the first round; the Jazz took Ohio State's Brice Sensabaugh at No. 28.The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 48.2% from the field and 40.5% from 3-point range in his lone season as a Buckeye. There are a couple red flags, though. He struggled defensively and he has had some knee issues.That said, if things break right, he could be a high-value scorer off the bench for the Jazz.

Thursday, 09:02 pm

Hornets select Nick Smith Jr.

Nick Smith Jr. was one of top recruits in the 2022 class, and was seen as a lottery pick heading into the collegiate season. Injuries and efficiency struggles dropped his stock some, but the talent is there to be an NBA-level scorer.

Thursday, 09:01 pm

Pacers take Ben Sheppard at No. 26

Thursday, 08:59 pm

Detroit moves up to take Marcus Sasser at No. 25

Thursday, 08:48 pm

Kings trade No. 24 to Dallas, Mavericks grab Olivier-Maxence Prosper

The Kings traded Richaun Holmes and the No. 24 pick to Dallas, according to ESPN. And then the Mavericks took Marquette's Olivier-Maxence Prosper. He was a player that was often linked to Utah's No. 28 pick.

Thursday, 08:41 pm

Blazers take Kris Murray at No. 23

Thursday, 08:39 pm

Nets grab Dariq Whitehead at No. 22

This is an upside play. Whitehead was one of the top recruits entering his freshman year at Duke last fall. Injuries derailed his season and limited his athletic burst, but if he can return to the player that had college coaches salivating this could be a steal.

Thursday, 08:37 pm

Nets take Noah Clowney at No. 21

The Brooklyn Nets selected Noah Clowney, taking one of the key players to one of the best teams in college basketball.In his lone season at Alabama, the 6-foot-10 product averaged 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

Thursday, 08:17 pm

Cam Whitmore's long night ends as Houston takes him at No. 20

The free-fall is over. Cam Whitmore was a projected as a top-5 pick by some outlets leading into the draft; he fell all the way to No. 20. Whitmore has a lot of talent, but some injury concerns and some not-so-great interviews (and his historically low passing numbers) led to a steep drop down the draft.The Rockets probably considered him at No. 4 at times during the draft prep; they got him much later.

Thursday, 08:11 pm

Warriors take Brandin Podziemski at No. 19

Last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder took Jalen Williams, and he ended up being one of the best rookies in the class. Will lightning strike twice?The Warriors selected Brandin Podziemski from Santa Clara at No. 19. He shot 44% from 3-point range last season, which should fit in nicely with the Warriors' offense.

Thursday, 08:08 pm

Heat take Jaime Jaquez Jr. at No. 18

The UCLA product was one of the risers for the pre-draft cycle. He does a lot of things to impact winning, and should fit into the famed Heat culture.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. heads to the Miami Heat at No. 18 🔥 pic.twitter.com/43uZJYSSPq

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 23, 2023

Thursday, 08:06 pm

Lakers take Jalen Hood-Schifino at No. 17

LeBron James may have some help running some things next season (if he doesn't head to retirement). Hood-Schifino is a pick-and-roll savant. The shooting is inconsistent, but he can run an offense.

Thursday, 07:49 pm

Jazz take Keyonte George at No. 16

There were reports ahead of the draft that the Jazz were looking to package the No. 16 and No. 28 pick to move up to get George. Turns out, they didn't have to make a move in order to grab the 6-foot-4 guard. George can get buckets. He is a good pull-up shooter and can create his own looks off the bounce. The talent is there, but he was still quite inefficient in his lone season at Baylor. There are defensive and feel-for-the-game concerns, but he can shoot, has good handles and a willing passer; that's a good starting point to become an impactful player. He had a pro day at the combine where he looked leaner and showed more bounce than he had during the collegiate season, too.

Thursday, 07:45 pm

Hawks grab Kobe Bufkin at No. 15

Kobe Bufkin was another player that had been widely linked to the Jazz, and he went off the board one spot before Utah got on the clock. Bufkin doesn't have a standout skill, per se, but does everything well. And once he was given the keys to Michigan's offense, he really took off.

Thursday, 07:40 pm

The Pelicans grab Jordan Hawkins at No. 14

Thursday, 07:31 pm

Toronto takes Gradey Dick at No. 13

Toronto got some shooting — and a man with a very shiny suit. Dick may be the best shooter in the draft, and had the most memorable suit in the class. He called it an ode to Dorothy from "Wizard of Oz," and it matches his new team's colors pretty well, too.

Raptors select Gradey Dick with the No. 13 pick ‼️ pic.twitter.com/N5SzTXdHCg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 23, 2023

Thursday, 07:24 pm

Dallas takes Derrick Lively at No. 12

Former Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey is now an advisor for the Dallas Mavericks. So, with that being the case, it's not too big of a surprise the Mavericks took a center with their lottery pick. The Duke center does fill a big need for the Mavs.

Thursday, 07:21 pm

Magic make a surprise selection at No. 11 by taking Jett Howard

The Orlando Magic may have reached a bit with this one, but Howard can really shoot and has some NBA pedigree. And with how large some of the players' draft ranges are expected to be, this likely won't be the last surprise.

Thursday, 07:09 pm

OKC moves up to No. 10 and selects Cason Wallace

Oklahoma City traded the No. 12 pick to Dallas and took on Davis Bertans' contract to move up to No. 10 and take Cason Wallace.The Kentucky point guard was seen as a potential target for the Jazz.

Thursday, 06:59 pm

Jazz take Taylor Hendricks at No. 9

The Jazz have taken Central Florida forward Taylor Hendricks with the No. 9 pick.Hendricks had been one of the fastest risers of the draft. He's 6-foot-8 without shoes and has a 7-foot-1 wingspan, and shot nearly 40% from the 3-point line in his freshman year. He doesn't have the shot creation right now, but should be able to be a tall floor spacer from Day 1.And he really shines as a defender. His on-ball defense is special, and he was asked to switch one through five in college, and he was an elite weakside helper, as well.He's got a lot of the tools needed to develop into a starting wing (or more) in the NBA.

Jazz fans at the Delta Center react to Taylor Hendricks coming to Utah at 9 pic.twitter.com/LNLMH2eJja

— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) June 23, 2023

Thursday, 06:53 pm

Pacers take Jarace Walker at No. 8

Thursday, 06:51 pm

Bilal Coulibaly goes No. 7 and traded to Wizards

Finally, there's a surprise — and a trade.France's Bilal Coulibaly went No. 7 to Indiana, but will be traded to the Wizards. The Wizards will send two second-round picks to the Pacers to move up one spot to select Coulibaly, who rose up draft boards playing alongside Victor Wembanyama in France.

Thursday, 06:43 pm

Orlando takes Anthony Black at No. 6

One of the Jazz fan base's favorites is off the board. Black, a 6-foot-7 point guard, was taken by the Magic with the No. 6 pick. He had long been linked to the Jazz, who had reportedly been interested in moving up in the draft take him.

More than a few disgruntled/disappointed cries from the Delta Center crowd when Anthony Black was taken off the board pic.twitter.com/6PRgjmNeju

— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) June 23, 2023

Thursday, 06:35 pm

Ausar Thompson goes No. 5 to Detroit

Amen Thompson was born about a minute ahead of his younger twin Ausar. And that's about as long the two were separated on draft night. Moments after Amen went off the board, the Pistons made Ausar the No. 5 pick.

THE PICK IS IN:

The Detroit Pistons have selected Ausar Thompson 5th overall! pic.twitter.com/Lcb5oKjyBb

— BULLYBALL (@RealBullyBall) June 23, 2023

Thursday, 06:28 pm

Houston takes Amen Thompson at No. 4

Amen Thompson may be the best athlete in the draft (slightly better than his brother, who will hear his name later in the lottery) and will be among the best athletes in the entire league. A gifted passer, if he can figure out a consistent jumper, he could be among the best lead guards in the NBA.

Thursday, 06:21 pm

Portland takes Scoot Henderson at No. 3

The Blazers took point guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 pick, and now the questions begin with what the rest of their offseason will look like. Will they pair the point guard with All-Star guard Damian Lillard, or move on from the Weber State alum and rebuild?

BLAZERS DRAFT SCOOT HENDERSON WITH THE NO. 3 PICK

Portland just got a dog 🐶 pic.twitter.com/vRBYtRyuCl

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 23, 2023

Thursday, 06:15 pm

Brandon Miller goes No. 2 to Charlotte

The Charlotte Hornets went with the cleaner roster with their second pick, choosing Miller over point guard Scoot Henderson. The 6-foot-9 forward shot nearly 40% from 3-point range his freshman year at Alabama and will fit in nicely next to LaMelo Ball.

The Hornets take Brandon Miller with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 #NBADraft‼️ pic.twitter.com/6zz9SuYGdo

— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2023

Thursday, 06:00 pm

Surprise, surprise, Spurs take Victor Wembanyama at No. 1

Wembanyama is considered the best prospect since LeBron James, and he's been the presumed No. 1 pick in this draft for the last two years. The only surprise here is it took the San Antonio Spurs two minutes to get the pick in. Now, the drama can begin.

"'Remember the Alamo'? What is that?" - Victor Wembanyama

MEADOWLARK EXCLUSIVE: Victor Wembanyama learns about "San Antonio things" from Charlotte Wilder an hour before the draft. pic.twitter.com/QqzseEhHSq

— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) June 22, 2023