Who could the Utah Jazz take with the 9th pick? Here’s what some early mock drafts say
The 2023 NBA draft lottery came and went Tuesday night, and the Utah Jazz stayed at No. 9, where they had the highest odds of ending up entering the proceedings.
So who could the Jazz take at No. 9, assuming they keep the pick?
Here’s who nine mock drafts have the Jazz taking. Six of these were published after Tuesday’s lottery, and three were published in recent weeks, when it was projected that the Jazz would pick ninth but not finalized.
Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky
Three of the eight mock drafts — The Ringer, SB Nation and NBC Sports — have the Jazz drafting Wallace, who played one season at Kentucky.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 193 pounds, Wallace is known for being a very good defensive player with potential to turn into a good player on the offensive end of the floor as well.
What they are saying:
Kris Dunn’s production gives the Jazz an idea of what their point guard position could look like with someone like Wallace, who is a defensive-oriented player with size, playmaking ability, and downhill creation. Wallace faced cramped spacing at Kentucky, but he could thrive next to Utah’s shooters. — The Ringer
There is no better perimeter defender in this draft class than Wallace. A 6’3 guard with a 6’6 wingspan and a strong 195-pound frame, Wallace not only blankets opposing guards but can also slide up and defend bigger forwards. He plays with a stunning combination of effort and intelligence on the defensive end, never giving up on plays — as evident by a deep collection of chasedown blocks — while mastering opponents’ tendencies. Wallace’s offense is a little less refined, but he can hit a spot-up jumper (34.6 percent from three on four attempts per game) and acts best as a connective passer on the perimeter. — SB Nation
Wallace appears to be a safe bet to have a long and successful career as an NBA point guard. He’s got the size (6-4), skillset and motor that suggests a very high floor. If his ceiling proves to be higher than expected, he could be a late-lottery steal. Wallace is a disruptive, physical defender and on offense displays an advanced feel for the game with his ball-handling and passing. He isn’t the fastest player but tends to get past defenders due to his timing and strength. Wallace’s 3-point shot will need to improve, but he has a smooth motion and a fairly quick release. — NBC Sports
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Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF
Two of the mock drafts — CBS and Tankathon — have the Jazz drafting Hendricks, who played one season at UCF.
Listed at 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds, Hendricks showed throughout his freshman season the ability to play on both ends of the floor.
What they are saying (no blurb written by Tankathon):
The meteoric rise last season of Santa Clara star Jalen Williams — and his subsequent stellar season as a rookie with OKC — has taught us not to overlook mid-major stars. Hendricks is perhaps the latest example of that, as he starred for UCF last season as a sharpshooting forward who can protect the rim and be a havoc-wreaker on defense. — CBS
Gradey Dick, G/F, Kansas
One mock draft — ESPN — has the Jazz drafting Dick, who played one season at Kansas.
Listed at 6-foot-8 and 205 pounds, Dick is known for being a great shooter, but he has also shown to be able to do a variety of things on the offensive end of the floor. Where there are questions is on the defensive end of the floor.
What they are saying:
The Jazz exceeded expectations this season, nearly landing a spot in the play-in tournament despite being forecasted to be among the NBA’s worst teams in the preseason. With their frontcourt appearing well-stocked with Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen, adding perimeter talent could make a lot of sense, especially a big, dynamic shooting wing like Dick, who hit 40% of his 3-pointers last season and brings solid versatility with his toughness and strong feel for the game. — ESPN
Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova
One mock draft — NBADraft.net — has the Jazz drafting Whitmore, who played one season at Villanova.
Listed at 6-foot-7 and 232 pounds, Whitmore is a somewhat divisive prospect, but as a sign of how unpredictable the draft usually is after the first few picks, all of the other mock drafts in this exercise have Whitmore going before No. 9 thanks to his versatility, athleticism and scoring ability.
What they are saying:
You cannot teach his physical/athletic tools, and he has promising ability as a spot-up shooter and off-ball player, as well as his overall toughness, willingness to rebound and defend the point of attack. … He does show inexperience on both ends as well and may never be a primary scoring option that you’d expect if you’re selecting him in the top half of the lottery given some of the limitations with his shooting platform and creativity off the bounce, but he certainly has the upside to be a key, versatile role player if a team is patient with him and allows him time and reps to add polish and develop his floor game and fundamentals. — NBADraft.net
Anthony Black, G, Arkansas
One mock draft — The Athletic — has the Jazz drafting Black, who played one season at Arkansas.
Listed at 6-foot-7 and 198 pounds, Black has great size for the point guard position and showed during his freshman season the ability to be good on both ends of the floor, although there are some questions about his ability to shoot.
What they are saying:
Black is maybe the smartest player in this draft class in terms of basketball IQ. He consistently makes the right play. Black averaged 13 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting 45 percent from the field and is entirely reliable as a 6-7 point guard. On top of it, he’s a terrific defensive player and one of the best in the class at the point of attack while also being switchable because of his size and strength level. I buy Black making decisions at an exceedingly high level and being able to reliably attack both ends of the court. — The Athletic
Jarace Walker, F, Houston
One mock draft — USA Today’s For The Win — has the Jazz drafting Walker, who played one season at Houston.
Listed at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, Walker is another player who performed well on both ends of the floor as a freshman. The question marks in many eyes with him are how good of a shooter he can be and whether or not his weight will be a problem.
What they are saying:
Houston’s Jarace Walker, the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, is one of the most promising defensive prospects in this draft class. He is capable of guarding either the ball handler or the screener in pick-and-roll actions, which will translate well to the next level. Walker crashed the boards hard and boxed out his opponents on 39.8 percent of opportunities, per AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform. That ranked as the most among projected first-round draft picks. — For The Win
