The Utah Jazz will have a variety of avenues they can go down as they enter the 2023 offseason.
Utah finished the 2022-23 season with a record of 37-45, putting it in 12th place in the Western Conference. Four players are listed with player options on Spotrac's 2023-24 Salary Cap grid for the Jazz, including guards Jordan Clarkson and Talen Horton-Tucker. Clarkson took second place on the team with 20.8 points per game last year.
The Jazz hold the No. 9, No. 16 and No. 28 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Jazz already have a few younger options to build around, including 24-year-old guard Collin Sexton, 23-year-old guard Ochai Agbaji and 21-year-old center Walker Kessler. They can draft a solidified starter who can be a potential building block for the future. If they find the right offer, they could also trade the pick for a more experienced player who could contribute immediately and lift Utah back into playoff contention.
Who are three sneaky selections the Jazz can look out for with the No. 9 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft? What avenues could they potentially lay for some of Utah's later selections?
Nick Smith Jr.
The Jazz could benefit from having a player who can be effective at both guard spots.
Should either Clarkson or Horton-Tucker decline their player options and move on to different teams, Utah will need some extra depth at the two spot who can provide an additional scoring punch either in the starting lineup or off the bench. Guard Kris Dunn is listed with a non-guaranteed deal that will be fully guaranteed by Oct. 23, according to Spotrac.
Smith Jr., a former 5-star recruit from Jacksonville, Ark., averaged 12.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists during his lone season with the Arkansas Razorbacks. The 6-foot-5-inch guard reviewed what he could bring to an NBA franchise after working out with the Washington Wizards.
“I feel like I bring everything to a team, whatever the coach needs me to do,” Smith said, via The Rookie Wire Managing Editor Cody Taylor. “My point guard abilities, I feel like I didn't get a chance to show a lot in my college year; my scoring ability. Being able to play defense and make different reads, just little stuff like that.”
Should Smith's guard talent transfer to the NBA, he could be a solid addition that could fit behind guard Collin Sexton or any of Utah's returning shooting guards. Utah could use the later picks to select another guard to pair up with Smith in the backcourt at the one or the two.
Jordan Hawkins
No team can ever have enough shooting or scoring help.
Hawkins, a 6-foot-5-inch guard hailing from UConn, took second place on the Huskies with 16.2 points per game. The former 4-star recruit scored 20 or more points for the Huskies on 15 occasions during the 2022-23 season, peaking at the 31 points he dropped against the St. John's Red Storm in January.
Hawkins took pride in his shooting ability during an April interview with ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony.
“Shooting is my superpower,” Hawkins said, via Givony. “There are a lot of ball-dominant guys in the NBA who can create their own (shot). I can be a knockdown shooter and play a significant role right away. As time moves on, I can develop and become an even bigger piece of the rotation, because I know I'm more than just a shooter.
“There's more to my game, but I have to prove it to people.”
Hawkins will need to improve upon his scoring efficiency heading into the league. But if he can work with some of Utah's more prominent options in either the starting lineup or off the bench, he can help boost a reserve unit that already took sixth place in the league with 38.8 points per game last season.
There can still be plenty of point guard options available if the Jazz take a chance on Hawkins with their No. 9 pick. Bleacher Report's mock draft has Utah taking Indiana guard Jalen Hood-Schifino at No. 16 and UCLA guard Amari Bailey at No. 28.
Kobe Bufkin
In a guard-heavy draft, the Jazz will have plenty of opportunities to select their guards of the future.
The Jazz could wait to take Bufkin with one of their later picks in the first round. But, if opposing rosters have already selected other point guards, they could try to take the Michigan product early and try for another option at No. 16 and No. 28.
Bufkin played a vital role for a Michigan roster that went 18-16 overall and 11-9 against conference opponents. The 6-foot-4-inch guard placed second on the squad in assists per contest with 2.9 and third with 14 points per game.
“Kobe's always been a big, large part of our team,” Michigan head coach Juwan Howard said in March, via On3 Sports. “Kobe what he's done from the beginning arriving on campus, he's been great as far as representing the University of Michigan. So proud to have an opportunity to coach him and I will continue to keep growing him as a player.”
With the cap space to sign a few more experienced options in the offseason, the Jazz can look to roll the dice on a boom-or-bust prospect for the future with their later picks if they take a surefire starter at No. 9.
Utah could try its hand at some rising forwards if they fall to No. 16 or No. 28. Agbaji and forward Simone Fontecchio are the only two listed small forwards on Spotrac's salary cap grid. Forward Rudy Gay will have a player option for the 2023-24 season. Having a young forward to pair alongside Kessler in the frontcourt or take up a spot at the small forward could help solidify the foundation of the Jazz's future if they take a guard at No. 9.
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