Jazz could look to trade some 2024 draft picks, but are keeping options open through pre-draft process
CHICAGO — The Utah Jazz have three draft picks in the 2024 draft — No. 10, No. 29 and No. 32 — but team sources have indicated that using all three selections at the June 26 and 27 draft is not necessarily what they want.
“I think it legitimately could give us some more access to players.”
Jazz vice president of player personnel Bart Taylor on dropping from No. 8 to No. 10 in the NBA draft
Going into the 2024-25 season with three players who were rookies last year and three incoming rookies is far from the ideal situation for the Jazz. Rather, the team would prefer to use at least two of the picks in a trade package. A trade package for what? That is still up for much discussion and could range from established players on other teams to future draft picks to moving up in the 2024 draft.
That said, the Jazz feel confident that they could get a really useful player with the 10th pick.
The general narrative about the 2024 draft class has been that it’s a weak draft sandwiched in between two stacked classes (2023 and 2025). But numerous executives and scouts at the NBA combine this week have said that it’s not the entire draft class that is weak, rather it’s the top of the draft.
“In a quote-unquote stronger draft, you’d have maybe a clear consensus top-five,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “There aren’t as many top-five outliers in this draft, but there are really solid players and probably a consensus top-20.”
The Jazz, who have already started doing pre-draft workouts in Utah, had a full slate of interviews in Chicago (each team can interview up to 20 players at the combine) and will continue those interviews into Thursday.
Among those interviewed include Zach Edey (Purdue), Rob Dillingham (Kentucky), Donovan Clingan (UConn), Ron Holland (G League Ignite) and Alexandre Sarr (Perth Wildcats).
The variance of players the Jazz are interviewing shows that they are looking across the entirety of the draft board. Sarr is likely a top-three pick, while Edey is expected to go closer to the 20th pick in the first round.
When the results of the lottery on Sunday pushed the Jazz down from the eighth pick to the 10th pick, many thought the Jazz would be unhappy with the results. But from a pre-draft standpoint, the Jazz are looking at the drop as having a bit of a silver lining.
“I think it legitimately could give us some more access to players,” Jazz vice president of player personnel Bart Taylor told the Deseret News. “When you have the eighth or sixth pick or whatever, the guys that are projected to be like 12, 13, 14, their agents are like, ‘OK are you even considering him.’ So it really could help us get some more of the guys we wanted to see in for workouts.”
Additionally, because this draft class is flatter, with fewer outliers, the Jazz don’t see much of a difference between having the eighth and 10th pick in terms of talent.
Importantly, the Jazz are keeping their options open and are currently operating as if they will make all three of their selections in June, though the right deal could shift that approach very quickly and they could be willing to move all their 2024 picks for the right price.
