ESPN Pounds Table for Jazz to Draft UCLA Prospect at Pick 28
There’s been a lot of chatter about what direction the Utah Jazz will take with the No. 9 and 16 picks, but could there be a diamond in the rough at No. 28? ESPN’s draft analyst Jonathan Givony dished his thoughts on what late first-round pick can make a big impact in year one during an episode of The Woj Pod with NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
“For me, it’s Jaime Jaquez — one of the top-10 scorers in UCLA history," Givony told Wojnarowski. “Just a total winner—a guy that does everything on the floor. He’s an outstanding passer—a terrific defender. I think he’s impressed teams in this process with the way he’s shot the ball. Teams had a chance to evaluate him at the pro day—see how the type of shape he’s in. How serious he is about this process and about becoming a great player. He’s a great interview. There’s a comfort level with a guy like that I think he’s a guy when you look back five years from now, he’s going to end up being a top-20 player from this draft.”
Despite being a projected late first-round pick, Jaquez has put together quite the resume in his time at UCLA. He's coming off a year where he won PAC-12 Player of the Year, averaging 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He’s also a second-team All-American, two-time PAC-12 All-Defensive Team (2021, 2022, and two-time first-team All-PAC-12 (2022, 2023).
Standing at 6-foot-7, Jaquez has the versatility to play the two, three, or four in a small-ball lineup. It’s what Jazz CEO Danny Ainge values, as Utah transitions into a roster of players that are interchangeable and have no issues switching on defense.
Although not an elite athlete, Jaquez Jr. Is highly skilled with the ball in his hands and has no problem getting to his spots in half-court sets. On the defensive side of the ball, he isn’t afraid to mix it up.
Jaquez's body is NBA-ready, while also having a feel for the game that puts him in the right spots at the right time. His 6-foot-11-inch wing span contributed to averaging 1.4 steals a game, and .6 blocks his senior year at UCLA.
Jaquez is a capable three-point shooter, but will have to work on his long-range game if he’s truly going to crack an NBA rotation moving forward. Heading into the draft, the Jazz could use some depth at the wing position.
Where it stands now, rotation minutes could be there for the taking, with only Simone Fontecchio and Luka Samanic being the major roadblocks to Jaquez seeing the court.
Late first-round picks tend to be projects relegated to the G League in year one. However, because of an advanced offensive skill set paired with entering the draft at age 22, there could be opportunities for Jaquez to contribute right away for a team lacking depth at the wing position, such as the Jazz.
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