With two first round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft and $41.2 million in projected cap space, the Utah Jazz have an opportunity to add a solid collection talent to their roster this offseason.
Finishing the 2022-23 regular season at 37-45, the Jazz were 3.0 games outside of a spot in the Play-In Tournament. This even with presumed starters Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton missing a combined 55 games. 2023 Most Improved Player of the Year Lauri Markkanen missed 16 games himself.
All of which leads to the belief that with just a little bit better luck, the Jazz would have made the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Just within months of losing four-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell, three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, and highly touted head coach Quin Snyder at that.
Earlier this month, ClutchPoints explored the possibility of the Jazz adding one of several choices with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft: Metropolitans 92 wing Bilal Coulibaly, Indiana Hoosiers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Iowa Hawkeyes forward Kris Murray. Each of these players fits a different need for the Jazz. However, they could all be available with the 16th overall pick that Utah received from the Minnesota Timberwolves as well.
That said, with the No. 16 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Jazz should be less concerned with finding a future star and more focused on adding high-quality rotation pieces.
3 early 2023 NBA Draft targets for Jazz with No. 16 pick from Timberwolves
Dereck Lively II
Duke Blue Devils center Dereck Lively II might be a more athletic version of Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, a big man that excelled as a shot-blocker in his rookie season. Capable of both altering shots around the rim and guarding players in space, the 2023 ACC All-Freshman selection averaged 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game.
Watching him on film, his ability to high-point the ball on both ends of the court is impressive, especially with his physical dimensions, athleticism, and activity level.
Notably, Lively had an offensive rebounding rate of 12.4 percent, which ranked fourth in the ACC that season and helps underscore his high motor.
At 7-foot-1 and 230 pounds, Lively is a bit light but he might be able to be a stretch-five prospect, going 2-13 from deep in his freshman season. Although those numbers definitely would need to improve, it's nice to see him having the confidence and freedom to take those jumpers, inspiring confidence about his upside as an outside threat. The Pennsylvania native has a smooth, confident stroke on his jumper.
Lively would be the perfect replacement for Jazz centers Udoka Azubuike and Damian Jones, with Azubuike reaching free agency this offseason and Jones having a player option on his contract for the 2022-23 season.
Julian Strawther
This summer, the Utah Jazz could lose Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Rudy Gay as free agents if they decline their player options for the 2023-24 season. Even if all three players were to pick up the options on their contracts though, they could join forward Kelly Olynyk and Simone Fontecchio as free agents in the 2024 offseason.
All that is to say that the Jazz will need to add a forward in the 2023 NBA Draft, whether they do it with the ninth overall or 16th overall pick. In fact, even if they were to add a forward with the No. 9 pick — a high-upside prospect like Metropolitans 92 wing Bilal Coulibaly for instance — they could look to add another one with the No. 16 pick.
In that event, Gonzaga Bulldogs wing Julian Strawther is a great option for Utah.
Averaging 13.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game over the past two seasons, Strawther has been a highly efficient player with 48.1 percent shooting from the field and 39.0 percent from 3-point range. A first-team All-WCC selection in 2022-23, Strawther is an elite outside threat thanks to his quick release, efficiency, shooting range, and his constant off-ball motion. Though right hand dominant, he can also use his gait, rhythm and shooting touch to make shots off-the-dribble as well.
The biggest question will be how he holds up defensively in one-on-one situations as he isn't an elite athlete. However, he is a solid team defender and could help make impact plays on that end under Jazz head coach Will Hardy.
Dariq Whitehead
Given how many players the Utah Jazz might have next season that are more capable scoring off-the-dribble than in catch-and-shoot situations, a spot-up threat could be the perfect addition.
Enter Duke Blue Devils wing Dariq Whitehead, a 6-foot-7 shooting specialist that made 42.9 percent of his 3-point attempts as a freshman in the 2022-23 season, including 53.3 percent shooting from 3 across the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. However, Whitehead is far more than a perimeter threat, as he also has a high basketball IQ, secondary playmaking potential, great off-ball movement, and solid finishing ability.
Whitehead also has above-average activity on the defensive end, which when combined with his 6-foot-11 wingspan, should translate into some nice impact plays at the next level. It should also allow him to be a multi-positional defender, highly important in the modern era of the NBA.
Durability might be a concern with Whitehead, as he fractured his right foot in Aug. 2022 during a team workout and sustained a lower leg strain midway through the season. However, Whitehead didn't have a concerning injury history while starring at Montverde Academy, so the hope will be that his time at Duke just saw him having some bad luck.
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