Anonymous 2023 Prospect Had Rumored Disinterest in Playing for Jazz
A new draft day rumor surfacing on Twitter has the Utah Jazz involved with yet another player showing little desire to play in Salt Lake City. As if the newest comments from Paul Reed saying Utah was "not a place that [he] had in mind,” wasn’t enough. A league newcomer might’ve also had similar feelings before even officially entering the league.
On draft night, predicting which the Jazz were going to end up taking was a total shot in the dark. A number of prospects were projected or talked about landing with Jazz, whether it came from the 9th-overall selection or in a trade-up.
The prospects in the draft were apparently in the same boat as the fans, having little indication on how the Jazz would inevitably end up using their first round pick(s). One player specifically though wasn’t elated of the idea of the chance he could play in Utah.
As told on the House of Highlights podcast, Through the Wire, Pierre Andresen gave fans some insight as to what a prospect told him about potentially landing in Utah:
“It’s funny because there is a guy, I’m not going to say no names, who we talked to. He said, ‘Man, I don’t know if I want to go to Utah,’ and he ain't going to Utah. So, shoutout to that guy."
This comment from Pierre effectively opens the window for some speculation by all Jazz fans (myself included). Without any direct indication of who the prospect in question could be, it’s a total guess. Despite this, fans have already begun to make assumptions as to who this mystery prospect may be.
Could it have been someone already taken off the board, such as Jarace Walker or Anthony Black? Maybe it was a predicted top-ten pick like Cam Whitmore or Cason Wallace? No one but these guys know, and it seems Pierre himself has no plans to reveal his player secrets.
Thankfully, the Jazz still managed to end up with a very successful draft without this mysterious player. Adding Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh to an already exciting arsenal of young talent should be a total win in the eyes of fans. With the recent showings from George in Las Vegas, there’s now even more reason to love how this summer’s draft turned out.
There's exciting times ahead in Salt Lake City despite what this anonymous draftee may think...
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