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The Utah Jazz will have plenty of directions to go in entering the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Jazz have the No. 9, 16 and 28 picks in the upcoming draft. With both guards Jordan Clarkson and Talen Horton-Tucker on player options for the 2023-24 season, Utah will have the opportunity to fill a potential need at the shooting guard spot as they fill out the rest of the roster with their draft picks. The Jazz could also consider trading their selections for more experienced options if they want to make a push for the playoffs sooner rather than later.
Utah can add more depth at the one or the three with their later picks. Guards Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn will be under contract for the Jazz next season. Dunn's contract will be non-guaranteed. Guard Ochai Agbaji and forward Simone Fontecchio will return to the roster next season.
Who are some players the Jazz should avoid selecting with the No. 28 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft?
Trayce Jackson-Davis
If the Jazz needed to look for extra depth at the four, Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis could be an option to look out for later in the first or early in the second round.
Jackson-Davis, a former 4-star recruit from Greenwood, Ind., is a four-year veteran with the Indiana Hoosiers. The 6-foot-9-inch forward played and started in 126 games for the Hoosiers, earning averages of 17.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. His assist numbers rose from 1.2 per game his first year to four his senior year.
“I just feel like I'm a really high-IQ basketball player,” Jackson-Davis said during a pre-draft one-on-one interview with the Indiana Pacers. “I think at the next level, playing with other high-level guys, it's going to get a lot of guys a lot of good shots. I can't wait to see myself excel, honestly.”
But the Jazz don't have enough of a need at the power forward to spend a first-round pick on a player like Jackson-Davis.
Even with one player on a player option and two on non-guaranteed contracts, the Jazz seem to be set with potential depth at the power forward going into the 2023-24 season. ESPN's mock draft had Utah selecting UCF forward Taylor Hendricks with the No. 9 pick, giving them a potential starter at the four before they address other needs later in the draft.
Utah could look out extra depth options at the one, two and the three with the No. 28 pick if they select Hendricks at No. 9.
Colby Jones, a 6-foot-6-inch guard from Xavier, could be an option to look out for at No. 28. He spent three years at Xavier, earning averages of 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 83 games played and 79 starts. Though his 3-point percentage fluctuated during his three years with the Musketeers, he ended his third year with a 36.7% rate from beyond the arc.
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Jones worked out for the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. He highlighted his versatility and how he can fit in different scenarios and game styles as he sat down for a one-on-one interview.
“Just my defensive versatility,” Jones said when asked what he was hoping to showcase during the draft process, via The Pacers. “Being able to guard different players on this court. Just my overall game on offense. Facilitating, making winning plays, and just all those hustle plays.”
Pepperdine forward Maxwell Lewis, a 6-foot-7-inch forward from Pepperdine, could add a solid scoring punch off the bench at the small forward if he is available for the Jazz to select with the 28th pick. He saw his averages jump from 11 points per game during his first year with the Waves to 17.1 in his second year.
Lewis took pride in his ability to make shots off the dribble in a June interview with HoopsHype NBA writer Michael Scotto
“I think my strength is making shots off the dribble,” Lewis said, via Scotto. “I've gotten a lot better coming off the pick-and-roll and making reads. I can pull up or hit the roller. I've paid attention to details.
“I think what I need to work on is being an even better defender. I got better in the past two and a half months since my last game. It's about getting up more on guys and picking up from half-court consistently.”
Ohio State forward Brice Sensabaugh, who led the Buckeyes in scoring with 16.3 points per game during the 2022-23 season, can be another option to look out for later in the first round. He will have to improve upon his defense before he makes the jump into the NBA, a point he addressed during an interview at the NBA Draft Combine.
“Just taking on that defensive role, showing the effort is there and things of that nature,” Sensaugh said, via 247Sports. “So just continue to get better and keep working in this pre-draft process on things like that. And I think in the league, the young guys have to defend first. So just keep working on that and being that kind of two-way player that's needed.”
