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After trading away all-stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, as well as veteran scorer Bojan Bogdanovic, the outlook this season was grim for the Utah Jazz.
Yet rookie coach Will Hardy steered the Jazz to a respectable 37-45 finish.
A major reason for Lauri Markkanen, who blossomed into a superstar in Salt Lake City.
The Finnish forward averaged 25.6 PPG while shooting just under 50% from the field. Markkanen's efforts earned him Most Improved Player honors.
Alongside him, Jordan Clarkson posted the first 20 PPG season of his career, while Rookie of the Year candidate Walker Kessler was a defensive force down low, ranking among the league leaders in blocks.
Utah is in a strong position entering the off-season, owning considerable draft capital, significant cap space, and with most of its core locked down.
The big question mark this summer surrounds Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson can pick up his $14.2 million player option, but coming off a career year, he will likely test the free-agent market.
This does not preclude a return to Utah, as the Jazz have $30-$45 million in cap space.
In the NBA Draft, The Jazz possess three first-round picks — a lottery selection as well as numbers 16, and 28 — this year and no second-round draft choices, meaning Utah can be aggressive when it comes to getting the players it wants.
As for team needs, Utah could use a play-making point guard. Collin Sexton slotted in at that role occasionally, but he has been more of a scorer than a facilitator during his career.
The franchise can address this need early in the draft. Point guards like Arkansas' Anthony Black and Kentucky's Cason Wallace are likely lottery picks who fulfill the Jazz's ball-handling needs while also providing solid defense
The Jazz could also use more shooting, as the team finished 20th in the NBA in three-point percentage during the 2022-23 season. This need for spacing combined with a lack of perimeter defending presents the perfect case to add a three-and-d wing player.
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Here is one sleeper prospect the Jazz can target with its later first-round picks to fulfill this need on the wing.
1 Sleeper Player Utah must target in 2023 NBA Draft
In an ideal draft for the Utah Jazz, the team will get a point guard like Anthony Black with its lottery pick, and an outside scorer like UConn's Jordan Hawkins with its mid-first-round pick.
On paper, this leaves the door open for more of a developmental project with the 28th overall pick.
Instead, the Jazz should target one of the more intriguing players of the NCAA Tournament: Andre Jackson, who comes in at No. 37 on ClutchPoints' first 2023 NBA Draft Big Board.
The UConn guard offers a unique skill set that, with the right players around him, will allow him to flourish.
Jackson is a play-making wing guard who is lethal in the fast break. During UConn's National Championship run, Jackson averaged 6.8 assists per game while committing just 1.7 turnovers per game.
While not a prolific scorer, Jackson is an aggressive driver with an uncanny finishing ability, as he made two-thirds of his shots at the rim this past season.
Andre Jackson's fingerprints were all over UConn's national championship game win with the way he picked apart San Diego State's defense seeing over the top, getting the ball where it needs to be and igniting the break off the defensive glass and spraying passes everywhere. pic.twitter.com/d9UFXnev1e
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 4, 2023
Defensively, Jackson was a lynchpin on a UConn team that finished top 10 in Ken Pomeroy's defensive efficiency ratings. He was second on the Huskies in defensive box plus-minus, trailing only seven-foot shot-swatter Donovan Clingan.
His one weakness is shooting, as Jackson shot under 30% from deep, causing concerns about his ability to space the floor in the NBA. If Utah acquires more shooters, this deficiency will not be an issue.
With his play-making ability and defensive prowess, Andre Jackson can thrive while playing alongside Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson.
